Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion
by Red Phoenix Dragon
Summary: The true power of the Master Illusionist is to trick you to focus on what he has not done and to control the chaos he creates. During the GoF Harry and Hermione work out the headmaster's trick of the Age-Line and that changes everything. Ronald has another bad experience due to his greed, fears and jealousies. HHr NLLL MOF Dumbledore 2 Secret Dark Lords (SS & NM). Character deaths.
1. The dream has faded

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 1. The dream has faded.

14/11/17.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

Summary: The true power of the Master Illusionist is to trick you to focus on what he has not done and to control the chaos he creates. Harry and Hermione work out the headmaster's trick of the Age-Line and that changes everything. Ronald has another bad experience due to his greed, fears and jealousies. HHr NLLL MOF Dumbledore + 2 Secret Dark Lords (SS & NM). Character deaths.

Full Summary: Harry hoped for a better summer for his Hermione and himself after his third year of Hogwarts. He had discovered a missing Godfather and he almost was free of the Durzkaban and have a family of his own. Then the rat escaped, Mooney tried to eat him and his best friend Hermione, while the Dementors tried to eat all their souls. Then the Minister wouldn't believe that Sirius Black was innocent, and all Dumbledore did was shake his head sadly.

Now they had the Triwizard Tournament and the manipulative old headmaster's Age-Line to contend with. Plus a dark lord who wanted to enter Harry's name so he could be his champion for the dark side. Who will help Harry and Hermione to get their happy ever after?

Ronald has another bad experience due to his greed plus the effect Voldemort has on his fears and jealousies.

HHr NLLL MOF Dumbledore. Secret Dark Lord Severus and Dark Lady Narcissa.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Start-of-Term Banquet, Great Hall of Hogwarts, September first 1994.

We find our hero and heroine enjoying the start-of-term banquet in Great Hall, on September first, 1994, at the start of their fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The illustrious headmaster stands to make his beginning of the year announcements. So Harry focused his attention on the biggest disappointment of his life. Albus Dumbledore.

Harry had hoped for a better summer after the challenges of his third year at Hogwarts. Where he had discovered he had a long lost Godfather, and then for a moment, he was almost free of the Durzkaban and to have a family of his own. But then the rat escaped, Mooney went all postal and tried to eat him and his best friend Hermione, and then the Dementors tried to eat all their souls. Following which the Minister wouldn't believe him at Sirius Black was actually innocent, and was not the rat who betrayed his parents. Sadly, all the great man Dumbledore did was to uselessly shake his head as if he was powerless to save Sirius. But with the help of his brilliant girlfriend Hermione, they had managed to turn back time to save two innocent victims of a corrupt Ministry of Magic and an impotent headmaster, and finished it off with a very romantic moon light flight on the back of a Hippogriff with the girl of his dreams.

Harry had a lot of time to think trapped again at Durzkaban, surviving quite well on the food Hermione and others had sent him after hearing that his cousin was on a diet. That was until his cousin discovered his hidden stash and ate it all including the cakes and chocolates that Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had sent. Strangely, Harry thought Dudley had gone a bit loopy after that, but that may have been the diet his mother had put him on. Although Dudley did mumble the words ' _oh finny'_ and sighed a lot like a love smitten teenager. When Harry mentioned to Hermione of Dudley's strange behaviour, she told Harry the story of how Mrs. Weasley got the attention of Mr. Weasley with a little love potion, and suggested that Ginny was trying to get Dudley's attention. While Harry thought that they were suited for each other.

Harry was a little disappointed with the Weasleys that summer as they knew what happened in Durzkaban and did nothing to stop it. While his girlfriend, Hermione, came and rescued him a week before his birthday and gave him the best summer ever. Hermione took him shopping for new clothes and even took him to Gringotts to see his account manager, Goldenclaw. Harry was most happy about having his eyesight fixed so he didn't need to wear those horrible glasses anymore.

Sadly then, Harry had those horrible nightmares of Voldemort, Wormtail and another insane Death Eater, full of murder, abuse, and torture while making plans for his certain death again. He wondered why Dumbledore had done nothing to capture Voldemort after his escape during the Philosopher's Stone Fiasco. Particularly after Harry had exterminated Wraithmort junior in the Chamber of Secrets Debacle, and saved the magical world from dealing with an ancient Basilisk and two immortal Voldemorts.

Harry had a great time at the World Cup with Hermione, except for the hate party the former ex-Death Eaters threw afterwards and the fact that the Weasleys were disappointed with Harry's new look and clothes. Molly said he should be proud to look like his father and he shouldn't have wasted all that money on new clothes he would grow out of far too quickly, and never get to wear.

But it was Mrs Weasley's ignorance of the non magical world had almost gotten Harry beaten to a pulp, Godfather or not. His uncle still had not forgiven him for exposing his ear drums to Ronald bigmouth Weasley's atrocious telephone manners from the previous summer, and now Mrs. Weasley's absurd attempt to mail a letter muggle style. Even the postman couldn't stop himself from laughing at the ridiculous number of stamps placed on the envelope.

Harry had replied to Ronald's owl delivered letter, to say that he was with Hermione. This apparently upset Ronald that Harry was not doing what he wanted, and he didn't bother to pass on the message to his father.

Harry was so glad that Hermione had rescued him before Mr Weasley attempted to collect him at Durzkaban by having the Dursley's old bricked-in defunct genuine Rumford designed fireplace connected to the Floo Transportation system. The twins told him all about the mess, what they did to his cousin, and the legendary argument their father had with his uncle. Harry just hoped he would never have to go back to Durzkaban again as his uncle was sure to kill him.

The only ray of hope was that Hermione had accepted his proposal to be his girlfriend, which for some reason really upset Ronald, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

So here we find our hero and heroine waiting at the end of the start-of-term banquet for the headmaster to make his announcements.

Harry was concerned after Draco, on his biannual visit to sneer at him on the Hogwarts Express, had an astronomical large smirk at the knowledge that his father had told him of something big happening at Hogwarts this year.

Something big that had been kept a secret from Harry, again, and he knew anything big would involve him.

So Harry focused his attention on the biggest disappointment of his life. Albus Dumbledore.

The same Albus Dumbledore who had saved a guilty Death Eater from Azkaban while he left an innocent Sirius Black there to rot, which caused an innocent Harry to suffer a worse fate in Durzkaban. While under the big crooked nose of the headmaster, the Pure-Blood bigots had continued their agenda as if his mother's sacrifice had meant nothing. His brilliant girlfriend was still treated like mud.

The headmaster's announcement stunned Harry. A Triwizard Tournament. Hermione quickly informed him of all the information she had read about the previous Triwizard Tournaments in her favourite book; Hogwarts, A History, particularly focusing on the death toll of champions, and spectators. It was obvious to Harry what his certain death event would be this year.

But it was the last bit of the headmaster's announcement that really caught Harry's attention. The headmaster said he would place an Age-Line around the Goblet of Fire. An Age-Line that Harry knew his name would have to cross to be placed in the Goblet of Fire, and then Harry had a very Slytherin thought.

Harry turned to Hermione and he saw the fear in her beautiful honey eyes.

"Promise me that you will not enter this Triwizard Tournament, Harry."

"I promise, and you know I don't want anything to do with the Triwizard Tournament rubbish or eternal glory, but you also know that my name will come out of that Goblet, Hermione." Harry sadly said as Hermione nodded in agreement at the truth of his words. "But I am more interested in the Age-Line that the headmaster will place around the Goblet and what it can do?"

Hermione smiled a little, without their other redhead friend getting all enraged and jumping to conclusions, Harry was now thinking before leaping into another certain death situation.

"I am thinking of asking Professor Flitwick to examine the headmaster's Age-Line, to find out how it works and what it can do."

"That is brilliant, Harry." Hermione gushed rewarding Harry with a kiss. Much to the disappointment of two jealous redheads. "I can ask Professor Septima Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, to help. She may even make it a class assignment for extra credit."

Harry smiled, he knew that the Arithmancy teacher was known to give her students large amounts of homework, and they had a lot to do before Halloween.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	2. The Champion chosen

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 2. The Champion chosen.

03/11/17 Beta by alix33.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

Halloween / Triwizard Tournament Selection Feast Great Hall of Hogwarts, October thirty-first 1994.

Both Harry and Hermione sat together at the Halloween Feast, over the last month they had grown even more disappointed and disenchanted with the great illustrious headmaster.

Firstly, Professors Flitwick and Vector loved the idea to take the opportunity study the handiwork of such a renowned Alchemist and the headmaster's Age-Line would represent the pinnacle of all his skill and experience over such a long career. But when they informed the headmaster during the staff meeting, about the exciting class project to examine his brilliant handiwork, he pooh-poohed the idea and played the offended grand sorcerer, sad that they didn't trust his skill and wisdom to protect his students and he reassured them that there was no need check.

"I am afraid that any examination of the Age-Line might interfere with its purpose and place a certain student in very grave danger." The headmaster warned with a hidden smirk. That and now he knew the Know-It-All was going to interfere, he could blame her when the boy's name came out of the Goblet. That should finally destroy their annoying friendship.

Harry thought the headmaster acted like a spoilt two year old who didn't want to share his toys just like a certain cousin, but the headmaster's reaction had cost Harry and Hermione the official support of the two professors and worse, Hermione didn't received any extra credits.

Unofficially though, the headmaster had been too late and his sad eyes didn't deter them from their project, as they were certain that Harry's life was in danger. Again. Professors Flitwick and Vector came up with a new class project to analyse the Triwizard Tournament Cup and examine the ancient runes and charms it contained, and as the headmaster had not actually said that he had charmed the cup, the professors didn't feel it necessary to let him know. Sadly they did find the headmaster's magical signature all over the cup as it seems that the headmaster couldn't resist interfering with everything.

Professor Flitwick involved his year six and seven Charms students in the new project, while Professor Septima Vector involved her Arithmancy students from years three to seven, and they invited Professor Bathsheda Babbling who involved her Study of Ancient Runes students also from years three to seven and yes you are right, you clever girl, in most cases that involved the same students from all three subjects. The professors also omitted to mention to the students any involvement of Harry Potter or the headmaster.

Although there was a certain third year Ravenclaw witch with dark blonde hair who worked it out very quickly. But as she didn't seem to have any friends, she gathered the courage to only tell Harry and Hermione. With her warm bright smile and indomitable spirit, she quickly became very close friends with them and they valued her insight, her ability to read ancient languages, obscurer and incomprehensible runes, wide knowledge of vague and inexplicable facts, and her ability to see things that others ignore. Plus it was a big bonus when they discovered that Ronald, Ginny and Draco couldn't stand to be anywhere near their new friend without getting abusive.

Professors Babbling, Flitwick and Vector were surprised how the normally quiet students jumped at the chance to examine the ancient artefact and extra credit points. The enthusiastic driven students worked together and shared their resources in a level of co-operation that the professors had not seen since before Harry had come to Hogwarts. They found old books, scrolls and texts that had been lost from the Hogwarts Library for generations, hidden in the dark corners of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin dorms.

And Dobby got the Hogwarts' house-elves involved as the Great Harry Potter hadn't specifically ban him from helping the Great Harry Potter's Grangy to save his life. The house-elves found ancient books, scrolls and texts from the Come and Go room, the Ministry of Magic and even the headmaster's secret stash. Including the original specifications for the Triwizard Tournament Cup and the Goblet of Fire, and even the Official Rules for the Triwizard Tournament.

Hermione was pleased how the ancient books, scrolls and texts that were found for the research on everything to do with the Triwizard Tournament, and techniques used to examine the Triwizard Tournament Cup were so easy to transfer to research the Goblet of Fire and examine the headmaster's Age-Line. Harry, Hermione and their new friend Luna used Harry's Cloak of Invisibility to hide them as they examined the wards, runes and magic of the Age-Line and saw just how bodacious arrogantly brilliant the headmaster actually was, if he wasn't actively trying to accidentally have Harry die a very painful death.

The details and monitoring capabilities of the Age-Line surprised them in its exceptional sophistication. It could identify the magical signature of any who attempted to cross it, and also identified the name on the piece of parchment in their hot little hands. Then it would cross check the magical signature with the records maintained by Hogwarts and identify their true name and date of birth. Anyone under the age of seventeen would be forcibly ejected with a suitable prank curse, as was proved by the unfortunate experience of the Weasley twins. It seemed that the headmaster was not above childish pranks.

And Harry's brilliant girlfriend had also discovered the extra monitoring charms that the headmaster had placed on the Age-Line, that would report directly to him, and send him the identity and true age of all who had crossed the Age-Line, and what name they had placed in the Goblet of Fire as well as what magic or potions were used. All time and date stamped.

But the logical Hermione had spotted the fatal flaw, that anyone of age could place anyone's name in the Goblet of Fire. Hermione was concerned but then she remembered reading that the Goblet of Fire worked on measuring magical signatures for potential magical strength as the wizard or witch placed their name in the Goblet. So it didn't really matter what name was entered, as their magical signatures were registered and locked in to the Goblet. But Professors Babbling, Flitwick and Vector were very concerned when Hermione brought that little flaw to their attention.

Hermione had shown her brilliance by piggybacking onto the monitoring charms of the headmaster, and having the results printed out on a piece of charmed parchment. The results were in black and white. Of the thirty-five names entered into the Goblet of Fire, Harry's name had been entered no less than five times. Three times by seventh year Slytherins, once by a seventh year Ravenclaw, and by an unknown Barty Crouch junior who had entered Harry's name for the illustrious school called St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys and had used a Confundus Curse on the Goblet of Fire, so it would accept a fourth school. Harry pointed out to Hermione that St. Brutus's was the school that the Dursleys told everyone that he attended instead of Hogwarts. So they knew it was a link back to Dumbledore somehow.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

So as Harry and Hermione waited for the Champions' Selection to finish, they tried to find this Barty Crouch junior on the Marauders' Map but it only showed a mess of names in the jam-packed Great Hall. So they decided not to name the wizard who had placed Harry's name in the Goblet for St. Brutus's, in case he wasn't present in the Great Hall. They were certain that the headmaster would know who Barty Crouch junior was, and could used that against them if there was a problem with the name.

The three champions were selected without any drama, and Harry and Hermione hugged each other as everyone except Ronald, cheered for Cedric Diggory as he was named as Hogwarts champion.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Then the Goblet of Fire erupted again and spat out a fourth name.

With dread Harry and Hermione knew whose name was on the fourth piece of burnt parchment.

Even before the headmaster caught it.

But they had a plan.

While the gift of the illusionist is to focus your attention away from what he has really done with his left hand, so they knew the headmaster will focus everyone's attention on what came out of the Goblet of Fire and not on what he knew that had gone into it.

There was a long dramatic pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip of parchment in his hands, and Harry and Hermione realized how brilliant an actor the old master manipulator was as he drew out the suspense as everyone in the room stared at him.

And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter!" The headmaster called out again to the silent stunned Great Hall.

Harry did not move as all eyes turned to the Boy-Who-Lived, some even standing up to get a better look.

Harry was so disappointed with the headmaster; again he had failed to protect him from the latest certain death situation to involve him. And worst, he knew how the school would react to him trying to steal Hufflepuffs chance of Eternal Glory. It would be the Heir of Slytherin all over again only ten times worst and the headmaster had done nothing to help and everything to hinder.

Harry saw the headmaster's blue eyes twinkling as he waved his hands gesturing for Harry to come up, and that was when Harry felt light-headed and a desire to obey. The feeling was not as strong as what he felt when professor Moody had placed him under the Imperius curse, but he certainly felt the telltale sign of a compulsion charm. Harry had become very sensitive to manipulations in any form after professor Moody had demonstrated the Imperius Curse on him and tried very hard to force Harry to jump onto a desk until Harry was able to throw off the terrible curse.

Harry couldn't believe that the headmaster would go so low as to use wandless magic to force his will. But he was not surprised for one who could trust a monster like Snape.

The compulsions were growing stronger in strength each time the headmaster beckoned with his hand for Harry to obey, and Harry glanced around at the students who surrounded him to see that they were also affected by the headmaster's wandless compulsions and were glaring at him, while some were going red with anger, and a few looked like they were about to force him up and drag him to the front of the Great Hall.

While Hermione felt the headmaster's wandless compulsions and realised that she had felt the light-headedness and desire to obey feelings before like last year when she had felt that she had to use her Time-Turner when she really didn't want to face the Dementors and that werewolf again, and before that when she went overboard in her quest for House-elves' rights, and again when she felt she had to report Harry's new broom to a professor. She cursed the headmaster for interfering and trying to destroy her friendship with Harry. She looked at the students around them and saw Cormac McLaggen looked as if he was about to jump up and drag Harry to the headmaster. When he suddenly dropped to the table with a thud, and she saw her friend in Ravenclaw tuck her wand behind her ear. She winked at her as she kept her own wand under the table and aimed at Ronald. But she could see that Ronald was still too busy eating to do anything more than glare at Harry while food fell out of his mouth.

The headmaster's wandless compulsions were growing equal professor Moody's Imperius Curse as he now used both hands to beckon to the boy.

Now Harry was furious and that gave him the strength to stare down the twinkle eyed manipulator.

Slowly Harry stood up, and in a loud calm commanding voice said. "I did not place my name into the Goblet of Fire."

Harry paused. "Nor did I ask anyone else of age, to place my name into the Goblet of Fire."

Harry saw the headmaster smirked as he realised that the headmaster had known about that little flaw all along.

Then Harry pointed at the headmaster. "As you very well know that, headmaster!"

The headmaster betrayed his surprise look as he glared for a moment at two certain professors who seemed to be happy about something, and then he gave the two professors a sorrowful look of betrayal.

"What are you talking about, you arrogant troublemaker!" Professor Snape sneered. "Just like your father!"

Harry had been expecting the headmaster's pet Death Eater to interfere and he turned to stared down the Potion professor while keeping an eye on the headmaster in his peripheral vision, and pointed at the Goblet of Fire as he followed the plan.

"The headmaster's Age-Line, how do you think that worked, professor?" Harry paused. "The headmaster's Age-Line monitored and identified everyone who crossed it, checked their Date of Birth, what name they entered into the Goblet of Fire and reported that to the headmaster."

Harry paused as he felt the wandless Imperius Curse from the headmaster grow stronger as a distant voice ordered him to shut up and obey, but that only increased his resolve to fight it as he thanked Professor Moody for teaching him how to resist the curse. Harry gritted his teeth to continue to follow the plan, and not expose the headmaster's wandless Imperius Curse. No one would believe that the Great Leader of the Light would use such an evil unforgivable curse, and while Harry's reasoned argument had everyone's attention, he had a chance.

"Anyone underage was ejected! As the Terrible former Redhead Twins discovered!" Harry continued as he nodded to the bearded mini-me Dumbledore twins who were doing their best Dumbledore impersonation, looking all sad and betrayed.

"The headmaster knew that my name had been entered not once but five times!" Harry declared holding up his hand to show the sign for five with his four fingers plus thumb spread out. "And the headmaster's Age-Line had failed to prevent my name being entered into the Goblet of Fire. And the headmaster also failed to remove it to protect me each and every time! The headmaster's Age-Line reported all this to him, and he knows who entered my name!"

Harry left the statement hanging in the silent Great Hall, wondering who will take up the challenge.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	3. The Epiphany of Severus Snape

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 3. The Epiphany of Severus Snape.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

06/11/17 Beta by alix33 14/11/17 16/11/17

Professor Snape's Point of View.

Everyone's attention was now focused on the great Albus Dumbledore, the illustrious headmaster of Hogwarts, as it should be, for the Triwizard Tournament was all about him and his Greater Good.

But Professor Severus Snape, the unloved potion professor and alleged spy for Dumbledore, was close enough to see the headmaster's micro expressions. He had learnt the art of reading micro expressions, a skill that has saved his life many times while being a double agent for the dark lord and headmaster. Careful that he wasn't distracted by the headmaster's twinkling blue eyes, he saw the micro smirk on the headmaster's face that told him that what Potter had just said was true, and the micro side glance of his eyes to the wizard who was standing beside and slightly behind him, gave away the next big secret of the headmaster.

So professor Snape now knew that it was the headmaster's old friend Moody, who had placed that particular piece of parchment with Potter's name on it, into the Goblet of Fire, and he wondered how the headmaster had manipulated his old friend to set the boy up. An old Auror like Moody would have a lot of skeletons er mistakes, hidden in many closets that the headmaster would know about and he would have had plenty of blackmail material to force his old friend to teach DADA this year.

Severus would know all about the way the illustrious Leader of the Light operated as he was in the same position. After the fall of the dark lord, the headmaster had made him an offer he couldn't refuse. But how he wish he had refused. Unfortunately as a penniless half-blood Death Eater without any family support, his choices were limited and he chose what he thought would be the least of three evils, to teach potions to dunderheads, while the alternatives were the Veil or being kissed, if he was lucky, or to rot in Azkaban if he was unlucky, like that dumb stupid mutt, Black.

Even when he tried to escape the headmaster's control by getting himself sacked for being the worst Potion professor in Hogwarts history, and abusing his position to destroy the house points system and give outrageous detentions, the headmaster thought that was a brilliant idea to maintain his cover while keeping the confidence that he was loyal to the dark lord. So the headmaster played his part to do nothing and he would just ignore any and every complaint against his pet Death Eater to the point that all the other professors, the Board of Governors, parents and students gave up trying to get rid of him. Such was the will of the headmaster to keep his spy under his complete control. Sadly, once Severus had started down that path to destroy the future of the Education of Potions, he couldn't very well change tack and had to continue being abusive. Then he realised that was what the headmaster wanted anyway. Fortunately the headmaster insisted that Gryffindor and Slytherin be paired up for potions, so he could continue to abuse the stupid Gryffindors while he could lighten up on the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and he gave in house lessons to ensure his Slytherins were expert in potions so there would be at least some future healers for St Mungo's.

But sadly for Severus, the headmaster did have an ace up his sleeve that stopped Severus from simply disappearing, for even up to this day, Severus knew that the secret of who had pointed the dark lord at the Potters, was still dangerous enough to have both sides wanting him dead or rotting and they would be prepared to hunt him to the end of the earth. The dark side would want him dead for setting up the dark lord to be vanquished just when they were about to win everything, while the light side would be happy to see him rotting in Azkaban for setting up the Potters to be murdered. No one would trust his word against the illustrious headmaster, even though he had worked it out that the headmaster had set him up to hear the first part of that cursed bogus prophecy by simply arranging to have two job interviews to take place in the same room at the same time and that was confirmed when the master manipulator failed to obliviate him, knowing full well who I would tell. The headmaster knew the Potters would be marked for death before the boy was even born.

Sadly professor Snape was not surprised that he now knew that the headmaster had known, and worst, had planned for his underage troublemaker er weapon, to be entered into the Triwizard Tournament in the worst possible way, as an unwanted and cheating fourth champion. And he knew the headmaster wouldn't do anything to protect the boy from the vicious reaction of the Sheeple or the Ministry, or worse from his fellow students who would accuse the boy of cheating. And he knew how very difficult it will be for the boy, just like the heir of Slytherin debacle but multiplied by a hundred. Even now he could see the red dunderhead was about to erupt.

So professor Snape knew, that the headmaster knew, that the boy would be the cheating unwanted fourth champion before his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. But the headmaster didn't know that he knew what the headmaster knew, and that might just give him a chance to protect the boy again, as he had promised.

Professor Snape turned back to Potter and noticed that he wasn't wearing his trademarked James Potter glasses. He saw Potter's fiery emerald green eyes stare him down. Those fiery emerald green eyes sent a shiver down his spine, and screamed in his head _'LILY!'_. And suddenly his mind was back to his fifth year at Hogwarts, and he had just made the biggest mistake of his short miserable life. In his anger and frustration he had used the 'M' word on his only friend. How Lily's fiery emerald green eyes were filled with anger and pain that cut him to his very soul at the hurt of betrayal he had caused her.

In a moment Severus Snape had an epiphany!

He no longer saw the hated mini-me of his arch-rival, who foolishly ran headlong into danger and certain death in all the traps that the headmaster had set up. Quirrellmort in first year, the Basilisk in second year, and, Black and the Dementors last year.

No, Severus Snape now saw the fiery emerald green eyes of Lily Evans in her son, brilliantly trying to avoid and survive the latest certain death challenge that the manipulative old man had cooked up.

He knew he had to protect the son of Lily Evans as he had promised. Protect him even from the headmaster.

Severus realized that he had to act quickly before the master manipulator turned this situation on its head and in his favour. When an old Ministry Official spoke up.

Severus knew the wizard well as he had tried very hard to send him to Azkaban and it was only the word of the headmaster that had saved him from that terrible fate.

"Be that as it may, it doesn't matter how your name got into the Goblet of Fire, Mr. Potter. What is important is that your name came out. Therefore by the authority invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I lawfully declare that you have an unbreakable binding magical contract with the Goblet of Fire. And you must participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Or, lose your magic!" Barty Crouch said in a boring, dull, authoritative voice, as the headmaster hid his smirk, leaving the Ministry to be the bad guys and do his dirty work.

Severus watched as, undaunted, Harry stared down the old stuffy Ministry Official. "I have read the official rules; the Goblet of Fire can only select one champion for each school, and _it is the placing of your name_ _ **in the goblet**_ _that constitutes a binding, magical contract._ The wizard who entered my name did so for St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, and confounded the Goblet to accept a forth school. As you can see from the colour trim on my robes that I am in Gryffindor House, and therefore a student of Hogwarts. I am not the _'Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's which has a bright orange jumpsuit for a uniform. The wizard, who placed my name in the Goblet of Fire, identified his own magical signature as the _'Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's and he is the one with the _lawful_ unbreakable binding magical contract with the Goblet of Fire, and he must participate in the Triwizard Tournament or lose his magic."

Severus had to agree with that point as Harry paused to let the sheeple digest that simple bit of logic and then continued. "This is obviously another lame attempt by **Voldemort**!"

Severus smiled to himself as Harry said the 'V' word just as defiantly as Lily did, and then paused for the idiots to stop hissing at the name. "To circumvent the headmaster's protections, and put everyone in danger, especially me."

Severus saw the old man flinch at the boy's verbal barb struck home, and realized that Lily's son was thinking for himself and the safety of others caught in the crossfire between the dark lord, the headmaster and the Boy-Who-Lived. It was obvious that Harry didn't trust the headmaster, nor would he blindly follow him into danger.

Harry continued. "If you were to trick me to accept the championship for St. Brutus's, and take the place of that other wizard, that would make me, **VOLDEMORT'S CHAMPION!"**

' _Wow!'_ Severus thought as Harry waited for the expected hissing to die down with the shock of his bold statement, before adding. "Something! I! WILL! NEVER! DO!"

"Touché! That was all pure Lily!" Severus fist pumped and whispered with glee as he watched the bright fiery emerald green eyes of the boy as he brilliantly fought for his life against the incompetent corrupt ministry, and allied them with the dark lord. He could see the stunned shock on the face of that Ministry official as he realised that the boy was right, while the headmaster just looked like he had swallowed a whole bowl of extremely sour lemon drops.

"Yes!, Stick that up your…." Severus whispered before his loyalty oath kicked in, and the hex for the **A** nti- **u** n **C** haritable **T** houghts against the headmaster, bit him on the butt.

Severus cursed himself for being such a fool. Seeing Lily's bright fiery emerald green eyes again and witnessing her brilliant logic reminded him of how much he missed his friend.

The boy's reasoned argument to identify the fourth champion as Voldemort's Champion had silenced the Ministry, hell it had blown them out of the water. But Severus knew he still had to act quickly before the master manipulator regained his thoughts, and turned this situation on its head and in his favour. He needed a distraction, but all the oaths that the manipulative old man had forced him to give would prevent him acting directly against the headmaster. But those oaths didn't protect Moody. Then he noticed the psychotic Moody take his hip flask from his pocket and opened it to take a swig, and Severus' keen nose detected the faint distinctive disgusting odor of lacewing flies stewed only for 20 days instead of the required 21 days.

Someone was using Polyjuice Potion!

And a shoddy rushed potion at that!

That meant that this psychotic Moody was not the real paranoid Moody!

Professor Snape realised that the danger level had just increase by an order of several magnitudes, and then he smirked as he remembered how much Malfoy had boasted about the monstrous, particularly nasty, spare Dragon he had arranged for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, and Severus surprised himself how quickly his mind came up with a plan as he turned to the headmaster and saw that the master Machiavellian manipulator was about to make his move as the headmaster transformed his facial expression to sad, afraid and powerless to intervene to stop this travesty of justice.

"I am afraid, my dear boy..."

" _ **You're**_ **setting the boy up to face** _ **a**_ _ **MERLIN**_ _ **DAMN**_ _ **DRAGON?**_ **"** Severus blurted out in a loud shocked voice, cutting off the headmaster.

Severus schooled his expressions to show embarrassment as though he had not meant to say that out loud or in public, as he saw the anger expressed on the headmaster's face fade to a neutral blank, to show whatever plans he was making to manipulate the situation and force the boy to do as he is told, were frozen.

The old fool (ouch!) Dumbledore had to now deal with that sudden unexpected revelation of Dragons as the other headmaster and headmistress moved to confront the Hogwarts' headmaster, as no one had said anything about dragons and particularly something as nasty as a dragon that would terrify the reformed Death Eater potions professor.

In the chaos, Professor Snape aimed his wand and fired a stunner through the side of his robe and dropped the distracted Moody, who was proudly leering, enjoying the results of his handiwork.

With everyone's attention on the headmaster, professor Snape ducked down and hit the fallen Moody with a dark paralysing curse, revived him from the stunner, and then used the Legilimency curse to dive into the mind of the wizard that was pretending to be the old Auror, while he was still confused and before he could raise his Occlumency shields to protect his memories.

What professor Snape found shocked him!

Professor Snape could not believe that the stupid old fool (ouch!) had allowed that insane Death Eater, Crazy-Eyes Barty Crouch junior, to hop around the school. The only one more insane was Bellatrix Lestrange and there was a reason why those particularly nasty Death Eaters were rotting in Azkaban. They were completely criminally insane psychopaths! The only one who could control junior and stop him from slaughtering everyone in their sleep was the direct orders of the dark lord.

Professor Snape was shocked. His own dark mark had slowly gone darker over the past three months which told him that the dark lord was growing in strength and was close to making a comeback, and here was Barty junior who had been in direct contact with the dark lord, and there was Dumbledore helping them. He had trusted the wrong damn dark lord! (OUCH!)

He went deeper into junior's mind and quickly uncovered the plot against Harry, and he recognised the old muggle Riddle manor where Babymort and the rat were hiding. He also saw the obliviated memory of the meeting Barty had with Dumbledore where the headmaster had discovered the plot against his weapon.

Professor Snape didn't how he would protect Lily's son from both the dark lord and headmaster. He slowly stood up and saw that the surrounding events had moved to the point where the furious headmaster had taken out his wand and started to wave it at all the angry witches and wizards confronting him.

Slowly and deliberately the headmaster said as he would need to focus in his own mind what memories he wanted to alter and send. "Obli..."

" _ **EXPELLIARMUS!"**_

Screamed the son of Lily Potter, and the bright scarlet curse hit the old wizard's chest and sent him cartwheeling while the boy caught the headmaster's wand in a brilliant shower of sparks.

Severus turned to watch the old fool splat against the back wall of the Great Hall with a good wholesome British thud, and he smirked at the misfortune of the headmaster, only for the AuCT hex bite him on the bum again. He rubbed his very sore extremity as he turned to see the fiery emerald green eyes of Lily and thought the headmaster had gotten off lightly.

Dumbledore and the dark lord were damn fools for going after Lily and her son.

In the shock and confusion that descended in the Great Hall, professor Snape had to admit that none of the Marauders could create absolute chaos like Lily's son could. He smirked as he quickly left the Great Hall.

Lily's son had given him a golden opportunity to save everyone, and he would not waste it. Well almost everyone, Black certainly didn't count.

Severus Snape had a date with destiny in Little Hangleton.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	4. The headmaster's nightmare begins

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 4. The headmaster's nightmare begins.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

14/11/17 beta by alix33. 20/11/17

Moments before, from the headmaster's Point of View.

The headmaster had been carefully stalling as he contained his building excitement while he waited for the Goblet of Fire to spit out the _surprise_ fourth name. He loved surprises, particularly of his own making, and especially when a plan came together. His brilliant Age-Line had worked flawlessly as it monitored who had crossed it, their true identity, age, orientation, and the all important name on the piece of parchment in their hot little hands, plus it recorded any magic and potions used. So he knew the names of everyone who had attempted to cross the Age-Line and what names had been entered. Plus he loved the opportunity to finally prank the Weasley twins and turn them into a pair of his very own mini-me Dumbledore groupies with his trademarked long white Merlin beard, but more importantly it monitored the fact that the boy's name had been entered five times and what dark magic Barty junior had used to confound the Goblet to accept a fourth school.

The headmaster chuckled to himself, what a Pure-Blood bigot that Barty junior was. As if, such a powerful enchanted ancient magical artefact could be confounded with a simple curse. If he had bothered to read the instructions that he had been given when he, as the DADA professor, was assigned to check the Goblet of Fire for any malicious curses, he would have discovered that the Goblet of Fire had been enchanted to be able to select champions for up to ten schools and if he had bothered to check the settings of the ancient runes, he would have seen that the Goblet had already been configured for four schools. Instead the idiot tried to force his magic into the Goblet of Fire which could have destroyed it along with half of the castle.

The headmaster thought back over the last year of hard work, and all that effort would have been wasted if Tom hadn't followed all his obvious vague, obscure and incomprehensible hints and clues. He had been an extremely _busy bee,_ (He chuckled at his own joke.) with all the scheming, planning, manipulating to resurrect this long forgotten death trap of a Triwizard Tournament, giving that idiot of a witch, big mouth Bertha Jorkins, enough juicy secret information and details about the Tournament and sending her on a holiday to beautiful Albania for the rat to find, and to entice Tom to come back and try again to kill the boy. Then arranging for little Barty junior to escape his father's control during the Quidditch World Cup, so he would return to his master and assist Tom and the rat. Blackmailing his dear old friend Alastor to play the DADA professor this year and then setting him to be trapped by the rat and junior, and thereby giving junior a means for high level access to the school. Manipulating that pompous bigot, Slippery Lucius, to donate a spare dragon just for the boy. Not to mention manipulating and interfering in two schools and two foreign Ministries plus a cast of a thousand extras. No one suspected a thing and he, the illustrious Leader of the Light, and Master Machiavellian Manipulator, would have complete Plausible Deniability, when it all hit the fan. The Triwizard Tournament would be his Cecil B. DeMille moment and the crowning achievement in his long career as a Master Illusionist.

And once Tom is back and finally kills the boy, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, will be there to save the day. In front of Hogwarts, the Ministry, and the two most prestigious schools in Europe with the world press in attendance to capture the moment. His name will be on everyone's lips and the dark will fear and tremble.

He will have his Eternal Glory for the Greater Good.

And it would all come together in a moment, real soon, now!

Showtime!

Then the Goblet of Fire changed colour and spat out the burnt piece of parchment. The headmaster caught it carefully before anyone could react but he didn't need to read it as he already knew whose name was on it, but he just had show off. This was his moment to shine.

"Harry Potter!" He said twice expecting the meek downtrodden boy to follow his wandless compulsions, but the boy stared at him with those fiery emerald green eyes and defied him, just like his mother. Lily's stare could make you feel so small and pathetic if you had a heart. He smirked as he remembered how Lily would stared down those two idiots, Potter and Black, so many times when they had done something stupid, and then there was the three times she had stared down Tom as well as himself. Fortunately for the Greater Good, he had removed his conscience so he wouldn't be haunted by all the sacrifices he had made and the pain and suffering he had caused.

The headmaster turned his focus back on the boy who had resisted the wandless compulsion hex, so he escalated the issue to involve the students surrounding Potter and compel them to eject the boy. But the boy ignores their glares. So he tried his wandless silent Imperius Curse to force the boy to obey him but the boy resisted and the headmaster cursed Barty junior for teaching his weapon how to fight off the Imperius curse. The whole purpose in letting Barty junior free rein to play with the Unforgivable Curses, was to break the boy's will.

Then his pet Death Eater did his job, and spoke up to distract, anger and abuse the boy. But the boy stared him down as well and pointed out the secrets of how the Age-Line actually worked and what it had reported to him. He had unknowingly smirked and glanced at Not-Moody, and then he used both hands to beckon and cast another more powerful wandless silent Imperius curse at the boy to force him to cease and desist from his foolish actions and obey his will, but his minion continued to defy him! He cursed Not-Moody again for failing to break the boy's will as both Tom and he needed the boy to be compliant. He glanced at Not-Moody only see him enjoying the moment.

Things were getting out of hand quickly, as the boy had drawn everyone's attention to the headmaster's Age-Line that the sheeple seemed to have forgotten about. He needed to direct their attention on the all-important piece of parchment in his hand that came out of the Goblet of Fire, and not what had gone in. Then Barty _the Obnoxious_ Crouch senior spoke up for the Ministry and the headmaster let him do his dirty work. Bless his miserable little heart.

"Be that as it may it doesn't matter how your name got into the Goblet of Fire, Mr. Potter. What is important is that your name came out…." The headmaster tuned out the pompous official as he declared authoritatively as if that was that, the Ministry of Magic had spoken.

Undaunted, the boy answered back and stared down the stuffy old Ministry Official. "I read the rules; the Goblet of Fire can only select one champion for each school, and _**it is the placing of your name in the goblet**_ _that constitutes a binding, magical contract._ The wizard who entered my name did so for St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, and confounded the Goblet to accept a forth school. As you can see from the colour trim on my robes that I am in Gryffindor House, and therefore a student of Hogwarts. I am not the _'Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's which has a bright orange jumpsuit for a uniform. The wizard, who placed my name in the Goblet of Fire, identified his own magical signature as the _'Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's, and he is the one with the unbreakable binding magical contract with the Goblet of Fire, and he must participate in the Triwizard Tournament, or lose his magic."

Dumbledore was surprised that the boy remembered his warning that entering your name constitutes the binding magical contract as everyone else seems to have forgotten that important point. He turned to look around to see that the sheeple trying to digest that simple bit of logic as then the boy continued.

"This is obviously another lame attempt by **Voldemort!"**

The headmaster smirked as the boy said the 'V' word just like his interfering mother while the sheeple hissed at the name.

"To circumvent the headmaster's protections and put everyone in danger, especially me."

Dumbledore flinched as he felt the barb aimed at his illustrious image. The boy was saying that Tom was greater than him, but of course no one was in any real danger while Albus Dumbledore was there to save the day. He needed to take control quickly. Fortunately controlling the chaos was something Albus Dumbledore excelled at.

The boy continued. "If you were to trick me to accept the championship for St. Brutus's, and take the place of that other wizard, that would make me."

" **VOLDEMORT'S! CHAMPION!"**

'What the hell!' Thought the headmaster as that note struck a chord with the sheeple as they hissed in fear.

"SOMETHING I WILL **NEVER DO!"**

"Bloody hell!" The headmaster whispered, it had amused him greatly that the fourth champion would actually be Voldemort's Champion. "When did the boy grow a brain and work that out? Damn that Insufferable-Know-It-All. Young Ronald was supposed to keep the boy isolated and busy being lazy, ignorant and stupid! If only the boy had identified the name of the wizard, who they both knew had placed the boy's name in the Goblet of Fire, then the boy would have destroyed all his credibility to accuse a dead man or his high-ranking Ministry Official father. It is too late for him to expose that little black hole, now that so brilliant Insufferable-Know-It-All has worked out that the boy would be Tom's Chump."

The headmaster's twinkling blue eyes stared down at the brilliant witch who sat beside the boy with the bright emerald green eyes. He was tempted to transfigure the boy's robes into the bright orange jumpsuit of St. Brutus's uniform but thought that would be too obvious and way below his standard for manipulations and besides he had already thought of a better way.

The boy's reasoned argument had silenced the Ministry, but the master Machiavellian manipulator always had a plan for every contingency. He was in a class of his own far above the svelte politicians of the Wizengamot, and He had spent years conditioning the sheeple to accept whatever story he told them as the absolute truth without reservation or question. After all, manipulation was his secret power that no one knew until it was too late. The headmaster decided he was play plan 'S' for scapegoat and blame the Insufferable-Know-It-All. _'_ _ **Oh, if only Miss Granger hadn't interfered in**_ _ **ancient**_ _ **magic**_ _ **that**_ _ **she does n**_ _ **o**_ _ **t understand**_ _. Then he could have done something_ _to spare the boy_ _this trouble_ _,_ _but now because of Miss Granger's unwarranted and haphazard interference,_ _he feared that_ _removing_ _your_ _name from the Goblet of Fire would have automatically caused the forfeit of your magic_ _.'_ Just enough concern to win over the sheeple while focusing on their fears of stupid ignorant Muggleborns playing with dangerous dark magic. That would be his ace card and let the sheeple turn their anger on the interfering Insufferable-Know-It-All. She will learn not to play with the big girls now. He transformed his facial expression to sad, afraid and powerless to intervene to stop this travesty of justice as he was about to make his grand move.

"I am afraid, Harry, my dear boy..."

" _ **You're**_ **setting the boy up to face a** _ **MERLIN DAMN**_ _ **DRAGON?**_ **"** His pet Death Eater blurted out in a loud shocked voice, cutting off his statement to win back control of the chaos.

The headmaster's mind froze. His pet Death Eater had foolishly let the dragon out of the bag and he didn't have a plan for this contingency. He wondered how his pet had circumvented his loyalty oath for this level of betrayal. He cursed as he hated to wing it.

The headmaster hadn't shared that little secret of the dragons for the first task with Karkaroff and Maxime. He would have waited until after their champion was selected, committed and locked into the Tournament, and then he would tell them separately that the other school head had no problem with dragons and used their pride to manipulate them into accepting the challenge.

But now he would have a big fight on his hands and the boy was the least of his problems and he would deal with him later along with the interfering Insufferable-Know-It-All. He smiled disarmingly at Maxime as he turned his twinkling blue eyes to overdrive.

"Dumbly-dorr, what are you playing at? No one said anything about dragons!" Madam Maxime screamed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "My dear Madam Maxime, we had to start off the modern Triwizard Tournament with a big bang, and there was something in the fine print on the parchments. While I am sure Igor will welcome the challenge for Durmstrang's champion to face a little harmless XX* rated dragon." * (XX is pronounced as Double X.)

"Like hell I will, Dumbledore! We know what you did to betray your lover, Grindelwald!" Karkaroff sneered as he twisted his barbs for maximum impact. "I will not sacrifice my best student for another one of your dangerous devious schemes. And what was Snape talking about a Merlin Damn Dragon?"

"Oh that?" Ludo Bagman asked and answered excitedly as he dreamed about how much money he would make gambling with the champions' lives as they fought dragons. "That is the spare dragon that Malfoy arranged. Its a really nasty XXX XXX+* rated Hungarian Horntail. The headmaster thought it would be good idea to have a spare dragon in case one of the nursing dames got sick." _* (The XXX XXX+ is pronounced as Double Triple X plus.)_

"What? A spare dragon?" Professor Sprout screamed as she moved to protect her favourite Puff and looked like she was about to use Bagman's guts for fertiliser.

Bagman wasn't completely stupid and realized that no one was happy about dragons in the Triwizard Tournament and quickly changed his tune. He had seen what Professor Spout did with fertiliser.

"Yeah, headmaster, that really nasty XXX XXX+ Hungarian Horntail! Why did you have to bring that big ugly brute into the country, headmaster?" Ludo Bagman said as he tried to redirect the blame onto the headmaster, and then he realized _why_ and turned to Potter.

"Oooh! Sorrrrrry!" Bagman foolishly apologised.

Dumbledore facepalmed himself as he groaned inside. He was surrounded by imbeciles and the pandemonium exploded as things went downhill fast. The old headmaster drew out his trusty, all powerful Elder Wand. Slowly and deliberately he waved it around as he focused in his mind the memory he wanted to change and project.

" **OBLI..."**

" _ **EXPELLIARMUS!"**_

Screamed Potter.

The Elder Wand was ripped out of his hand and he felt that he had been hit by the Hogwarts Express as he cartwheeled into the back wall and everything went black.

Terrible things can happen when the memory curse backfires.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	5. Harry's worst nightmare

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 5. Harry's worst nightmare.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

20/11/17 Beta alix33. 11/12/17

Moments before from Harry's Point of View. Yes, my dear readers, once more into the breech for the third and final point of view of the same critical moment in time. It has been a lot of fun to consider the thoughts of others as they each witnessed the same event differently as the story at this point seemed to naturally split into three parts that run concurrently but separately until they meet up at the end of the night. And yes you can skip it if you want to but you will miss out on some nice moments with Luna and Neville.

Harry had left his well reasoned statement about the headmaster's Age-Line hanging in the silent Great Hall, wondering who will take up the challenge. He watched as the hated Potions Master's expression changed from utter despising hatred towards him, and mellowed to a new expression of fear and wonder as if the Potions master was seeing the real Harry for the first time and not his despised father. Then the look of calculation as if the Potions master was working out a plan and then there was that micro smirk.

Then an old official looking wizard from the Ministry spoke up completely ignoring his argument and stated authoritatively that as his name had came out of the Goblet of Fire, therefore he was in the Tournament or lose his magic. That was that, the Ministry of Magic had spoken. Harry channelled Hermione and with all the information they had gained from the monitoring of the Age-Line and quickly followed _plan V: Voldemort's Champion_ , an argument to silence the Ministry if they forced the issue. Plan V came up late one night after Ronald had been particularly snarky about Harry using the V word.

Undaunted, Harry stared down the stuffy old Ministry Official. "I read the rules; the Goblet of Fire can only select one champion for each school, and _**it is the placing of your name in the goblet**_ _that constitutes a binding, magical contract._ The wizard who entered my name did so for St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, and confounded the Goblet to accept a forth school. As you can see from the colour trim on my robes that I am in Gryffindor House, and therefore a student of Hogwarts. I am not the _'Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's which has a bright orange jumpsuit for a uniform. The wizard, who placed my name in the Goblet of Fire, identified his own magical signature as the ' _Harry Potter'_ from St. Brutus's, and he is the one with the unbreakable binding magical contract with the Goblet of Fire, and he must participate in the Triwizard Tournament, or lose his magic."

Harry paused to let the sheeple digest that simple bit of logic and then continued. "This is obviously another lame attempt by **Voldemort!"**

Harry rolled his eyes as he paused for the idiots to stop hissing at the name and fired a verbal barb at the headmaster. "To circumvent the _headmaster's protections_ and put everyone in danger, especially me."

That stirred up the sheeple to think that they were in danger from Voldemort, while the headmaster looked annoyed.

Harry continued "If you were to trick me to accept the championship for St. Brutus's! And take the place of that other wizard. That, would make me!…."

" _ **VOLDEMORT'S! CHAMPION!"**_

Harry waited for the expected hissing to die down along with the shock of his bold statement, and the realisation of what it meant, before adding forcefully.

" _ **SOMETHING!"**_

" _ **I!"**_

" _ **WILL!"**_

" _ **NEVER!"**_

" _ **DO!"**_

Harry paused as the emotional stress rose at the idea that the headmaster was still going to try and force him to be Tom's Champ, if only to save that other wizard's magic. He took a deep breath to calm himself as his anger and frustration rose at the way the headmaster used him. His reasoned argument had silenced the Ministry, but he was surprised to see the utter dread in the eyes of the old pompous Ministry Official. This particular official looked like he knew that Voldemort was not completely dead, while his redhead sidekick Percy Weasley just went purple with rage at the use of the V word, and then to Harry's surprise he could see that Snape's eyes were actually smiling at him while the headmaster looked like he had a mouth full of very sour lemon drops. In the silence of the moment, he turned to survey the expressions of the rest of the adults as they screwed up their faces at his use of the V word, while his former best friend was bright purple with rage, spitting out the mouthful of half chewed food all over Seamus.

Then out of the corner of his eye Harry could see that the master Machiavellian manipulative headmaster was ready to make his move. Dumbledore transformed his facial expression to sad, afraid and powerless as he stooped his shoulders in defeat.

The headmaster started to speak in a sad fearful voice, and drew everyone's attention that the great illustrious Leader of the Light was about to give his words of wisdom. That sadly he was powerless to intervene to stop this travesty of justice. Harry had heard it all before with Sirius, with Durzkaban, and when he dared to ask why Tom wanted him dead, and knew he had just lost. The only wisdom and logic the crackbrained magical world excepted without question came from the mouth of Albus Dumbledore. He could see the relief on the faces of the wizards and witches as they looked to the headmaster to sort out this problem, just as they have done for the last sixty years, and let him rule their lives and ruin their futures.

"I am afraid, Harry, my dear boy..."

" _ **You're**_ **setting the boy up to face a** _ **MERLIN DAMN**_ _ **DRAGON?**_ **"** Snape blurted out in a loud shocked voice, cutting off the headmaster.

Harry was startled by the outburst of the pet Death Eater, and he saw the momentary look of extreme anger and hatred on the headmaster's face when he was interrupted by the potions professor. Then he had a frozen calculating look as pandemonium erupted over the reveal of the dragons that was far greater than when his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. From the fearful, angry expressions of the heads of the visiting schools and Professor Sprout, Harry could see that they had no knowledge of dragons being in the Tournament, and by how tight Hermione gripped his hand, he could tell she was terrified.

Harry watched as the Potions master schooled his expressions to show embarrassment as though he had not meant to say that out loud and in public or in front of Potter, and then he ducked down out of sight as all attention was focused on the Great Leader of the Light; Albus Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't believe that the headmaster was setting him up to face a dragon this time, but he was not surprised after facing Quirrellmort, the Basilisk and Dementors, there were not many really dangerous magical creatures left. Except for maybe a Heliopath or worse, a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. He watched with a little satisfaction as the heads of the other schools confronted Dumbledore. At least he wasn't the only one who had been left in the dark by the headmaster's manipulations.

Harry looked down at Hermione as she fearfully supplied some of her research information. "In the previous Triwizard Tournaments when they used dragons for the first task, they have always lost at least one champion and in four tournaments all three champions were brutality slaughtered."

"Oh?" Harry groan as Luna came across to comfort Hermione and wrapped her arms around her. "What's a Merlin Damn Dragon?"

"Not sure." Luna said. "Hopefully, it could be either an Antipodean Opaleye, a Peruvian Vipertooth, or a Ukrainian Ironbelly. They are pretty bad but not as nasty as a..."

"Hungarian Horntail!" Hermione and Luna fearfully said together.

"Oh?" Harry said as he had a very good idea what was coming as he turned back to the angry wizards and witches yelling at the headmaster and tried to understand what they were screaming about.

Harry heard a Ministry wizard that was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black, he recognised the wizard as Ludo Bagman as he spoke. "Oh that, that's the spare dragon that Malfoy arranged? The headmaster…."

But whatever the headmaster had said was drown out by yelling.

"What? A spare dragon?" Professor Sprout screamed as she moved to protect her favourite Puff. Harry was surprised to see a professor defending her students and she really looked like she was about to use the headmaster's guts for fertiliser. He thought that he could have avoided so much trouble over the past three years if he was a Puff.

"Yeah! Headmaster! That really nasty XXX XXX+ Hungarian Horntail? Why did you have to bring that big ugly brute into the country, headmaster?" Ludo said loudly as he could see that no one except for Dumbledore wanted dragons and so he tried to deflect blame onto the headmaster. Then he realised who the spare dragon was for and turned to Potter. "Oooh! Sorrrrrry!"

"Of course!" Harry facepalmed himself as he heard Hermione and Luna groan while pandemonium arose. "Damn Harry Potter's sheer dumb luck!"

Harry glanced over to the Slytherin table to see the smirk on Malfoy's face. Of course Malfoy's father had told the blonde cretin about the Triwizard Tournament, and he knew about the dragons. Probably made sure to get the biggest, meanest, ugliest, and the most nastiest dragon they could find just for him. And to top it off, the headmaster is helping them! Not for the first time Harry just wondered why does the headmaster want him dead?

Then out of the corner of his eye Harry saw the headmaster take out his famous elder wood wand, and start to wave it about. He instinctively took out his own wand. Then he heard the headmaster say the beginning of the memory charm and he was fired into action after remembering what had happened with that moron Lockhart.

"Obli..."

" _ **EXPELLIARMUS!"**_ Screamed Harry.

The bright scarlet curse hit the old wizard's chest and sent the old Machiavellian manipulative fool cartwheeling into the back wall with a nice satisfying wholesome thud that the Dursleys would be proud of, as Harry caught the headmaster's wand in a brilliant shower of sparks while chaos arose.

Hermione was the first to move and stood up to hug her boyfriend as the brilliant shower of sparks fell around them as the Elder Wand spoke and told them of all the evil Dumbledore had done as it removed all binding, compulsions, obliviations and loyalty curses the headmaster had placed on Harry and Hermione.

They sat down holding each other as Luna moved to join the hug while Neville tried to protect them from the absolute bedlam that surrounded them, and the glare of two very angry redheads.

Everyone was very upset that the Great Leader, Albus Dumbledore, had tried to mass obliviate them, with a very few light sided die hard Dumbledore supporters trying to defend their leader's actions against the overwhelming not so silent majority who finally saw the true dark Dumbledore. While the outraged wizards and witches from the dark families were amused to watch the fence-sitters' self-righteous indignation, as they already knew what the real Dumbledore was like.

From the safety of Neville's arms that surrounded her, Harry and Hermione, Luna could see all the Nargles that had stolen everyone's senses forcing them to behave in such an appalling way as they angrily attacked their neighbours, and she could see the enormous Wrackspurts affecting her two former redhead friends and were driving Ginny and Ronald insane with rage. She snuggled more into the warmth of Neville's arms as she looked to see the headmaster had hit the soft stone wall very hard and slowly slid down. She didn't know how much damage the backfired memory curse would have done to the headmaster but hitting the stone wall like that certainly would have obliterated him.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	6. The Secret Dark Lord strikes back

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 6. The Secret Dark Lord strikes back.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

27/11/17 Beta by alix33, thank you.

Severus Tobias Snape arrived in Little Hangleton, a wizard on a mission from Lily. He carefully made his way through the muggles celebrating Halloween and he ignored the fool who asked him where he had gotten his cool costume, dude. Finally he reached the old Riddle House. He remembered the dilapidated ruined muggle mansion as a safe house from before the fall of the dark lord. The decaying anti-muggles wards around the property had given the muggles a superstitious haunted house vibe and they had put up a simple star picket and barbed wire fence around the abandoned property to keep out teenagers and stop them from using it for their nefarious purposes. He quickly spotted Nagini patrolling the boundary as she followed a drunken muggle that was about to become her dinner if he fell over the fence. Even in the waning moon he could see her shiny black silhouette in the lighter green grass as she stealthily stalked her prey. The snake had grown a lot bigger in the thirteen years since he had seen her last and she had probably spent those years at the safe house keeping the vermin and the odd curious muggle out of the manor. She was so black that she could hide in the shadows and the old fool muggle caretaker would never see her. He silently flicked his wand and banished a star picket through the big black snake's head. The unholy scream that came out of the shadow went unnoticed by the drunken muggle as it was still Halloween night. Severus smirked, the eight foot long black three sided star shaped steel picket looked innocence enough while it was stuck in the ground and supporting the rows of barbed wire fence, but when it is pulled out and you can see its pointy end one can understand how lethal a star picket banished through the snake's head would be.

Severus entered the grounds of the manor through the big rusty iron gates that had been locked for decades and had been charmed to allow anyone with a dark mark to simply walk through the iron bars as if they were made out of smoke. He smirked as he remembered that Slippery Lucius had copied the idea for the gates to his own mansion in an attempt to impress the dark lord. He chuckled as the dark lord was not impressed with copycats and gave Slippery, his first taste of the Cruciatus Curse, and that the Pure-Blood bigot didn't know what the muggle term, a copycat, meant.

Silently Severus Snape snuck stealthily step by step into the mansion and found a terrified Wormtail fussing over an unconscious and very ugly Babymort. Severus had seen what the dark lord looked like in Barty junior's memories so it was not too shocking. He took out two small specimen jars that were filled with the Draught of Living Death, and enlarged them. He always carried a set of shrunken specimen jars in case he came across some exotic potions ingredients or road kill.

Wormtail was beside himself and didn't notice the arrival of the potions master, but quickly answered the unasked question.

"The dark lord was in a good mood about what was happening to the boy tonight when, just a few moments ago, he was giggling as he followed his familiar hunt down some drunken muggle for her dinner and he suddenly screamed _Nagini_ and collapsed." Wormtail moaned.

Severus gave Wormtail a questioning glare.

"He was talking to that creepy damn snake as though he could see through her eyes, called her his precious, and encouraged her to hunt a drunken muggle that was getting too close to the fence." Wormtail explained and then added. "Then he screamed Nagini and collapsed."

"Oh?" Severus said as he thanked the Powers-That-Be for seeing the snake before she saw him. Thinking quickly he suggested. "Quick, Wormtail, place the dark lord into this restorative draught."

Wormtail obeyed without thinking and quickly dropped Babymort in one very large specimen jar.

Wormtail watched his master sink to the bottom as the clear liquid covered him and then he had a thought as he turned to his fellow Death Eater. "How did you fin. Erk!"

Severus stunned the rat and forced Wormtail to turn into his Animagus form and dropped him into the road kill jar. While he was prepared to do anything to help Lily's son, there was no way he would help Sirius Black get free and he had always wanted to know if the internal organs of an Animagus stayed human or changed to match the transformed animal. Besides he knew it was the rat who really betrayed the Potters and caused the death of Lily. But professional courtesy and the direct order from two dark lords had prevented him from avenging her death. He sealed the specimen jars, placed an unbreakable charm on them as he shrank them and then placed them in his inside pocket.

With Babymort trapped alive in the Draught of Living Death, and after half the dark lord's soul was exterminated when Lily's son had annihilated the first Horcrux, Riddle's little black diary, Severus figured from his own research into Horcruxes, that there was not enough of the dark lord's soul left in any of the remaining Horcruxes for a viable younger version of the dark lord to return, and with the old fool knocked off his perch, Lily's son should be safe.

Then Severus paused and marvelled how easy it had been to stop a severely weakened dark lord from returning. He had been furious with the headmaster when he discovered who had been hiding on the back of Quirrell's head in Potter's first year. The old fool could have captured Wraithmort then and there, and put an end to it, but he let the dark lord escape. Had Severus known of Quirrellmort in time he was sure he could had done something.

The first time he read about the Draught of Living Death, he realised its value for incapacitating an enemy. But when he finally succeeded in making some for extra credit during his third year, old Slughorn had boasted how a brilliant Potions Master he would make and that painted a target on his back as the junior Death Eaters led by Slippery Lucius Malfoy took an interest in grooming him for the dark lord while for Potter and Black, they focused their buffoonery on him because they were jealous. Particularly when Lily was proud of his potions skills.

The first time that he was able to use the Draught of Living Death against Potter and Black was in his fifth year when he caught the rat snooping near the dungeons around the girls' bathroom that the Slytherin witches used. He has left two cupcakes soaked with the Draught of Living Death on the floor near the bathroom and Wormtail had greedily eaten them and was asleep for two weeks. Sadly that success led to two unfortunate events. Slippery Lucius got the opportunity to turn the rat to the dark side and you know how well that went. The second event was Potter and Black escalated their bullying leading to the attack where everyone saw his underwear. Lily had stood up for him but in his anger and hatred of Potter and Black, he had used the _'M'_ word and destroyed their friendship.

The last words Lily said to him still haunt him to this day; _'_ _B_ _efore you_ _can_ _hate_ _someone_ _, You have to hate yourself first!.'_ Severus was the painful living proof of that statement. Sadly it was his own abusive father who had taught him to hate himself.

Severus always kept some Draught of Living Death in some shrunken specimen jars in case he found some exotic potions ingredients or road kill. So, had he known of Quirrellmort he could have slipped him some in his food or drink. Or he could have just as easily stunned the useless DADA professor and trapped him and his possessing wraith in a specimen jar of the Draught of Living Death. In fact he had told his first year students about the Draught of Living Death at the beginning of their first Potions lesson.

The headmaster knew that Severus wanted to teach DADA and give the sheeple a fighting chance to survive the next Blood War. Maybe that was why the headmaster continually refused to allow him to swap subjects and continued to employ substandard hacks. It made Severus so angry watch Quirrell stutter his way through the year and it was as if the headmaster wanted his anger to maintain the rage between Slytherin and the foolish Gryffindors. That idiot redhead weasel certainly kept his bargain with the headmaster to maintain the rage between Gryffindor and Slytherin, while he had to assist his godson, Draco, in his pathetic attempts to please his father when he was such a mummy's boy. That reminded him that he needed to thank the Insufferable-Know-It-All for knocking the Gryffindor tendencies out of his godson when she walloped him at the end of last year. She is so much like Lily.

Severus was lost in his thoughts about Lily until he remembered where he was and what he had just done and his anger towards the headmaster. He knew the headmaster could have done what he did to trap the dark lord years ago.

But the headmaster had kept his secrets and let Quirrellmort teach the students about the Dark Arts for a whole year. What was the headmaster playing at? If or when the dark lord regained his body, the blood war would start again as most of the dark lord's _reformed_ Death Eaters were free while the unrepentant Death Eaters were waiting in Azkaban and the rest of his support network was still intact. In fact with the headmaster's policy of undeserved second chances, the reformed Death Eaters had surreptitiously taken key positions in the Ministry and Wizengamot that would give the dark lord automatic control when he returned. With the terrible DADA professors over the last thirteen years, the sheeple would be lambs to the slaughter. Was the headmaster planning some cataclysmic battle of Good versus Evil at the gates of Hogwarts where the headmaster wins in the end after so many innocents had died terrible deaths? Was he trying to recapture the glory of his victory over Grindelwald? Severus knew with his work as a double agent, there would be no chance for him to survive such a devastating event regardless of who won.

Then there was the terror of the Chamber of Secrets and _Ginnymort taking_ that bloody big Basilisk _for walkies,_ _(thank you)_ wandering about the castle. Severus was shocked at how far Dumbledore had let things go. If not for Lily's son, the first Horcrux could have returned a younger version of the dark lord and they would be facing two immortal dark lords and an ancient powerful Basilisk. Was the headmaster insane enough to sacrifice Lily's son and the stupid Weasley bint just to give young Tom Riddle a second chance? Then he thought about it, would the older dark lord share power with the younger dark lord without killing each other. Not bloody likely. Or was that what Dumbledore was planning all along?

Then in third year the headmaster let the rat escape to find and assist Wraithmort to return. Even after hearing the second terrible prophecy. Severus really wondered just how insane the headmaster was and whose side he was really on? He seemed determined to have Lily's son face Voldemort. But that was a suicide mission. Why did the headmaster want the boy dead?

Then it hit him.

The damned prophecy!

The damned prophecy that had cost him everything and trapped him in his own private hell teaching potions to Dunderheads for the manipulative headmaster. Yes, the headmaster had spoken for him and saved him from Azkaban, while the other rich Pure-Blood Death Eaters had to bribe their way to freedom for a lot of gold. But now, he was stuck teaching their evil spawn while they continued to have their Muggle-baiting parties in secret and laughing at his misfortune of being trapped under Dumbledore's big thumb. Oh how he hated them and all their snot-nosed dunderhead spawn.

Severus had used his spying skills on the headmaster, and had discovered a few of the manipulative old fool's secrets. He had found the memory phial of the drunken fraud giving that terrible prophecy and knew what it said. He didn't believe in prophecies but that didn't matter as two powerful wizards had made this one self-fulfilling. Particularly for one who was determined that it will be fulfilled his way, for his Greater Good. But Lily's son had proved to have an extraordinary unknown power to survive or sheer dumb luck.

But one with the power to vanquish one dark lord, could easily vanquish a second.

Lily's son was a threat to the old fool's Greater Good!

Then Severus noticed the wand on the floor and he got enraged to think that the rat had been in the room that night! With Lily!

But then Severus Snape had a wicked thought.

A very wicked thought indeed!

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Secret Dark Lord Severus Snape conjured up a bald cap to hide his greasy locks as pulled the hood of his robes over his head and picked up the most feared wand in all of Britain.

It felt dark and heavy with all the evil it had done despite its phoenix feather core.

He wanted to snap it in half for killing his Lily, but he needed it for his new plans to eliminate the dangers and threats to Lily's son.

He pulled back the sleeve of his left arm and placed the tip of the wand on the dark mark. He could feel it burn as the wand summoned the faithful, murdering, scumbags of the dark lord. While he waited he practiced his best dark lord voice and prepared his mind for the acting performance of his life. His face would be hidden by his hood and a transfiguration charm would make his eyes glow as red vertical slits to complete his evil dark lord transformation, but the cowards would never look him directly in the eye.

The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks as the decrepit old ballroom of Riddle Manor filled up with wizards Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward... slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes as the dark hooded figure with glowing red vertical slit eyes stood in silence, waiting with his arms crossed as he held the famous evil wand. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled forward and kissed the hem of his black robes.

"Master... Master" he murmured.

The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away on his knees to form a silent circle. There were no gaps as the room was not that big.

"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Severus quietly in his best high-pitched Voldemort voice. "Thirteen years... thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"

His terrible face hidden by the hood but they believed the glowing red eyes, the dark lord's voice, and the wand, and they feared as he was not happy. He sniffed the foul air of the rotting ballroom, his nostrils widening. The secret dark lord pretender Severus, knew the dark lord always loved the drama and suspense with his long-winded statements and mini _motivational_ speeches, and Severus had learnt from the best, the dark lord, Dumbledore and Vincent Price, on how to play the sinister dark lord in a happy, cheerful, nasty, evil way. It was the same technique and way that he had controlled his Potions Classroom and put the fear of dread of a fate worse than death into those stupid Dunderheads he had to teach.

"I smell guilt," he said as he looked down his nose at them grovelling at his feet. He could get use to this dark lord gig. "There is a stench of guilt upon the air."

A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to crawl back from him. Severus was enjoying this, paying back every sneer they had made at him, for being a half-blood, for having to teach their idiot spawn, for being trapped in the castle with the old goat.

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! And I ask myself... why did this band of er... _wizards_ never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"… _Adapted from the_ _G_ _oblet_ _o_ _f_ _F_ _ire_.

No one spoke and Severus Snape knew he had them in the palm of his hand, and how he hated them all. Particularly the blonde bigot who had encouraged him to join the dark side as they had cookies. He didn't have the stomach for attacking muggles or muggleborns, but after being sorted into Slytherin and with the headmaster encouraging the stupid Gryffindors to hate all things Green and Silver, he didn't have many options that would have stopped him from learning to hate. He didn't hate everyone, but the bigoted bullies on both sides, them he could hate with a passion.

"Crucio!"

Secret Dark Lord Severus cursed in a high-pitched cheerful voice and the Death Eater Avery dropped his mask as he desperately tried not to scream too loudly, and then the one next to him as Severus worked his way around the circle of prostrate screaming murderers who bit their tongues in pain and soiled themselves as a foaming bloody froth came out of their mouths. Until he got to the Death Eater he hated the most. The one who had guided him down the path that led to the death of Lily and the damn fool who had arranged a XXX XXX+ dragon for her son. He knew just what to say to him as the idiot had boasted about doing something that would aid their master and clear the Mudbloods from the castle in Potter's second year. He had put it all together when the headmaster had shown him the ruined evil tainted diary.

Lucius Malfoy waited at the end of the circle of screaming Death Eaters as he smirked in amusement as his lord tortured er, no, discouraged, the failure of his fellow marked servants. He was going over in his mind what he would say to demonstrate his unfailing loyalty to his master. All the gold that he had stolen, and all the laws against foul creatures and Mudbloods he had manipulated his puppet Fudge into passing. He smiled evilly as he thought how he could play on what mask he wore each day and slip pass his lord's anger.

"Hello Lucius, my slippery friend," Severus whispered in his high-pitched fiendish voice, "do you remember a little diary I gave you to keep safe? To protect with your miserable worthless life?"

And Lucius Malfoy knew he was a dead man, and tried to pull out his wand out of his cane to activate his emergency Portkey and escape. But the dark lord didn't give him a chance.

" _ **CRUCIO!"**_

Secret Dark Lord Severus cursed with extreme prejudice, and he really meant it to hurt, using his hatred of the blond tosser to keep the curse going way past insanity until the once proud peacock was a foaming bloody froth floating on a puddle of Pure-Blood goo and disgusting excrement on the rotting carpet, while the other scumbags were shaking in fear and dread of their master and didn't even think to try and help their late associate. Plus the bonus that now he could save his godson from following in his late father's footsteps.

Secret Dark Lord Severus looked around at his remaining cringing grovelling minions. He had followed his former master's guidance and gone for the pain rather than the kill as he cursed them all, nigh to the point of insanity.

"Does anyone need any more encouragement?" He said evilly.

His minions cowered in silence and tried shake their head to indicate no, as they feared their uncontrollable shaking would be interpreted as a yes.

"No? Very good, my dear friends." He said in a cheerful evil way, as if they were his dear friends. Then he pointed the evil smoking wand towards the door. "Now go, my dear friends, go and free my true faithful from Azkaban! And do not return without them! Don't not fail me again! TTFN!"

The terrified fearful murderers, shaking uncontrollably from the effects of the heavily applied Cruciatus Curse, could barely stand up as they tripped over each other in their panic-stricken rush to get away to do their lord's bidding while Severus chuckled to himself. He felt good as he knew it would be a suicide mission after he had cursed them all. The Dementors will be well fed tonight.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	7. Harry's fireside chat with the Boss

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 7. Harry and Hermione's fireside chat with the Boss.

04/12/17 beta alix33 thank you so much.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

AN: Thank you for all of your kind reviews. It was nice for Severus Snape AKA Alan Rickman to play the good bad guy for once rather than the usual bad good guy.

It was less than twenty minutes later while Harry was still wrapped up in the arms of Hermione, when his scar flared up in an intense pain and he had a vision of the big black snake, Nagini, with a star picket through her head. Hermione kissed Harry's scar better and five minutes later it stopped hurting as if a distant fog had lifted from off his mind as though a presence had gone to sleep.

There was absolute Chaos in the Great Hall with two redheads furious at the Boy-Who-Lived for attacking the headmaster, ignoring the authority of the Ministry of Magic, disrespecting inviolable Pure-Blood traditions for certain death Tournaments, all that gold and eternal glory, and worse of all, using the V word. While a lot of the witches and wizards who had seen that the headmaster was about to attempt a mass obliviation on everyone, argued back at the very few diehard supporters of the headmaster who believed that he could do no wrong.

"He is Albus Dumbledore!" They said as if his name gave him a license to kill.

Harry was very thankful when the two angry Redheads had been silenced and bound before they could cause more trouble by the terrible twin Dumbledore mini-mes who showed their shock and awe at the prank Harry had pulled on Dumbledore. The absolute chaos continued until Madam Bones arrived with her elite squad of Aurors and took charge and Professor McGonagall was finally able to send the students to their common rooms.

All but one and his girlfriend, and their two best friends, Neville and Luna, who wouldn't abandon them.

Madam Bones decided to make the most of her first opportunity to talk to the Boy-Who-Lived without the headmaster interfering and allowed Harry's three friends to remain and support him as he was not in trouble, and it also gave her the chance to confirm whatever Harry said, by their reactions. They might leave something unsaid but they couldn't make something up without at least one of them giving it away. Plus she knew Neville's Grandmother would be there soon with the rest of the Board of Governors and would want to see if he was safe.

Madam Bones didn't use a Dicta Quill as the scratching might be distracting and she didn't need one as she had an eidetic memory. As head of the DMLE she had a lot of information to remember perfectly. She just gently chatted to Harry and Hermione for about fifteen minutes to gain their confidence and trust as the four of them sat on the couch next to one of the fireplaces in the corner of the Great Hall, with Hermione snuggled into his arms.

Hermione showed Madam Bones the piece of charmed parchment that had recorded who had entered their names in the Goblet of Fire.

Harry explained. "We knew that the headmaster was up to no good when he didn't remove my name from the Goblet of Fire."

Hermione pointed to the record of Barty Crouch junior's entry of Harry's name. "This particular entry was for a fourth school. So we knew that Harry's name would be the fourth name to come out of the Goblet of Fire."

Madam Bones read the record and when she came to the name of the wizard, she exclaimed. "Barty Crouch junior! Do you know..."

"Bloody hell, Barty Crouch junior?" Neville shouted, accidentally cutting off Madam Bones who put up some privacy wards. He hadn't seen Hermione's piece of parchment until then. "He was one of the Death Eaters who attacked my parents. Gran said he had died in Azkaban!"

"Oh, Neville, I am so sorry." Hermione apologised.

"We didn't show you the piece of parchment as we were hiding it from Ronald." Harry added. "He was getting suspicions, angry and jealous that I was spending too much time with Hermione."

"And I kept it hidden in my bed as we didn't want Ronald to ruin everything." Hermione explained.

"Thank you for understanding." Neville accepted their apology. "And you were right to hide this from Ronald."

"Yes he would have stopped us from checking on the headmaster and demanded we tell him everything." Harry supported Hermione's decision.

"And me!" Neville said and then added as he saw their confused expressions. "If you had shown me the parchment, I would have told my Gran and she would have ripped Dumbledore a new one."

"Oh?" Harry said.

"And that would have stopped you from exposing the headmaster in the Great Hall." Neville continued.

"Oh, okay Neville. There seems to be a lot I still don't understand about the magical world." Harry said annoyed. "I hated it when Ronald seemed to take pleasure in my ignorance."

"That's okay, Harry." Luna continued. "Neville and I can help you there. It seems like Ronald was planted by the headmaster to keep you isolated and ignorant."

Hermione gave a very unladylike snort. "I am looking forward to learning about the magical world and its actual traditions other than that all Slytherins are evil and don't say the 'V' word."

"Well it explains why Ronald had spent so much time talking to the portrait of Professor Eupraxia Mole in the Gryffindor common room when you weren't around." Neville said as Harry looked at Hermione.

"Professor Eupraxia Mole was Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when Dumbledore first arrived at Hogwarts as a student. She was replaced by headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black." Hermione explained. "I read that in."

"Hogwarts, a history!" They all said together and laughed.

"I have seen her portrait in the headmaster's office. She would know Dumbledore very well." Harry added. "So that is how the headmaster keeps tabs on me."

"Oh, the headmaster has all the portraits keeping tabs on you, Harry." Luna added. "They talked about you all the time."

"Oh?" Said Harry.

"Yes, they all said how boring the castle was before you came along."

"Oh?"

"How did you and Mr Ronald Weasley become friends?" Madam Bones asked Harry.

"Well, Hagrid forgot to tell me how to get onto Platform 9 ¾ and Mrs Weasley found me wandering around outside, she introduced me to Ronald and showed me how to go though the barrier. Ronald found me later on the train and he slid open the door of the compartment and came in. He asked, if anyone sitting there, pointing at the seat opposite me and said, everywhere else is full."

"Full?" Queried Hermione, Neville, Luna and Madam Bones.

Harry facepalmed himself as Neville, Luna and Madam Bones said. "The Hogwarts Express is enchanted to never be full."

"And there were empty compartments on both sides of your compartment." Hermione continued. "Our year was the smallest since World War Two."

"So our friendship started with a lie." Harry said sadly.

"Pretty much." Said Luna sadly.

"I should have known when he said he didn't like corned beef but still ate his mother's sandwiches after he had eaten all of my Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things I had never seen in my life."

"Sound like you bought some of everything." Madam Bones said.

"Yes, I did. I didn't want to miss anything, so I got enough of everything to last me the school year as I didn't know if there was a shop at the castle." Harry explained. "But it only lasted Ronald for an hour."

"Oh, does he really eat that much?" Madam Bones asked quietly as the Harry and Neville nodded their heads while Hermione and Luna rolled their eyes.

"Oh?" Madam Bones said. "Now to clarify, Hagrid had your ticket?"

"Er, yes, but I don't want him to get into trouble." Harry said carefully.

"Hagrid won't get into trouble but it is usually Professors McGonagall, Flitwick or Sprout who visit the Muggleborns and do the introduction and orientation to the Magical World." Madam Bones explained.

"Introduction and orientation to the Magical World?" Harry wondered why he had missed out. "Hagrid was under the impression that my relatives would have told me, but they hate everything magical. He had my Gringotts key and took me shopping."

"Oh!" Madam bones said and asked a question after what Harry said about his relatives. "Do you have your Gringotts key?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Mrs Weasley asked for it so she could buy our things while we went to the Quidditch World Cup."

"And she hasn't given it back?" Madam Bones asked as Harry shook his head. "It is very important that only you hold on to your Gringotts key, Harry."

"Oh?"

Madam Bones made more notes. "And the Weasleys were outside the Muggleborn Entrance to Platform 9 ¾?"

"Er, yes."

"Waiting for you?"

"Oh?" Harry felt a fool. "I suppose Malfoy wouldn't use the Muggleborn Entrance."

"Not over his father's dead body." Neville replied as he realised how ignorant the Weasleys had kept Harry. "We just use the Floo network to go directly to the platform."

"Oh?"

"And once you had seen them use the Muggleborn Entrance, they had to keep using it in case you wised up." Luna added as Harry shook his head.

Madam Bones gave Harry a knowing look as she continued to make copious notes and then asked Harry and Hermione. "How did you two become friends?"

"I tried to befriend Harry from the beginning of first year, but Ronald kept me away until Harry saved me from the troll." Hermione said sadly as Madam Bones wrote down troll and underlined it.

"Why Harry?" Madam Bones asked.

Neville answered. "Hermione tried to befriend everyone, being new and all, but her lack of knowledge of the magical world, who was who, and all of our confusing our traditions made it hard for her, and Ronald was particularly nasty to her. Even more so than Draco."

Harry and Hermione smiled a thank you to their friend as Luna snuggled into the warmth of Neville's caring heart.

"Oh, er, by troll, are you referring to a large older student?" Madam Bones asked hopefully as they shook their head. She pinches the bridge of her nose and asked. "Oh, right. How big?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other as they conversed with their eyes. Then Harry spoke. "I am not sure about its height, but I could just barely get my arms around its neck." And made a loop with his arms to show how big the troll's neck was.

"Oh, er. Neck?" Madam Bones was about to ask how Harry had measured the size of the troll's neck but decided to save that question for another time.

When Harry started to mumble an answer. "Er..." Mumble, mumble mumble.

Hermione chuckled. "What my bashful knight in shiny armour was trying to say, is that he charged the troll and grabbed hold of the club as it raised it up, and was lifted high enough to jump onto its shoulders and wrap his arms around its neck as he shoved his wand up its nose and blew its brains out through its ears with accidental magic. Then he stood on the troll's back as he rode it to the floor."

The last part Hermione said with a bit of dreamy admiration while Madam Bones looked again at Mr Potter.

"It was scaring Hermione." Harry mumbled.

"Then Harry reached out for my hand, to help me stand up and said; _'Come with me if you want to live.'_ so I did." Hermione said the last part in a deep voice as she and Luna put their hands to their heart and let out a big sigh, as Neville chuckled while Harry went red and mumbled something that sounded like, it was a cool line from a movie.

"Oh." Madam Bones said amused at the antics of the two witches. "That now makes perfect sense. You were very lucky of course."

Madam Bones made some notes and asked. "And you didn't go ask a professor for help?"

Their spontaneous laughter gave Madam Bones cause for concern that the four students thought asking a professor for help was a very funny joke.

Luna restarted the previous line of questions. "So, Ronald the mole got a job from the headmaster?"

"So it seems." Harry replied sadly.

"It is not your fault that Ronald has kept you isolated and ignorant of our history, Harry, and I agree that if you had told Ronald of your concerns about the headmaster, he would have ruined everything. His family is very tightly connected to Dumbledore." Neville added.

Neville turned directly to Harry. "And that stuffy old Ministry official that you dropped the 'V' bomb on, that was Barty Crouch junior's father, Bartemius Crouch senior. He is third rank in the Ministry after Madam Bones."

"Oh, dear!" Harry said slowly as he added another name to his list.

Madam Bones smiled as she watched the interaction with interest as she saw the concern and care between the four friends. Their view on Ronald Weasley and the family connection to the headmaster was another avenue for her to investigate later. Starting with Arthur and totally avoiding Molly. She could ask Arthur for Harry's Gringotts key and let him deal with Molly. That would give her a reason to see Harry again.

Madam Bones asked. "And how did Harry and Neville become friends?"

"Oh, like Hermione, I tried to befriend everyone but Ronald pushed me away as I don't particularly like Wizard chess, Quidditch or Football for that matter. I like plants; they are so peaceful and always do their best to enjoy life." Neville explained.

Luna continued. "Neville and I met in the Forbidden Forest, he was looking for exotic magical plants and I was looking for exotic magical creatures." She smiled at the memory of their first meeting and pointed to Neville as he was the most exotic magical creature she had ever found. Madam Bones, Harry and Hermione smiled as they got the joke. "We just clicked looking for the exotic."

"Neville was always friendly and ready to help. I just didn't realise that Ronald was keeping you away." Harry continued sadly and then brighten up. "While Luna is a little ray of sunshine."

Hermione continued with a smile. "She brightens the day."

"Okay, thank you for that." Madam Bones said as she noticed the smile on the little blonde witch and it made her think of a warm summer day. The same bright smile her Susan had before she lost her parents. She grinned as she tried to bring the discussion back on point. "Neville is right, Barty Crouch junior died in Azkaban." And she remembers that it was not long after her very ill friend and Barty's mother had also passed away. What a coincidence?

"It was the headmaster's Age-Line that detected Barty junior's magical signature." Luna reasoned. "And it would have cross-checked with the register kept by Hogwarts. So it most definitely was him."

"And everyone thinks Voldemort is dead." Hermione added.

"And everyone thinks Peter Pettigrew is dead too!" Harry threw in.

Madam Bones made a note about Voldemort and then asked carefully as this might just be the missing clue to Sirius Black's innocence. "You know about Peter Pettigrew?"

"Yes." Harry said disgustingly. "He was a friend of my parents and an Animagus who hid as a common garden rat with the Weasleys since 1981. He was Percy's pet first and then Ronald's. Ronald kept the rat in our dorm for three years and complained about it continually. The rat was revealed that night when Sirius Black was caught and er, escaped. Peter is a marked Death Eater and admitted to being my parents' Secret-Keeper. He was the one who betrayed my parents and led Voldemort directly to them, then framed Sirius for murdering all those unfortunate muggles, and faked his death."

"We told the headmaster and Minister Fudge that night, but the Minister wouldn't listen to us." Hermione said disappointedly. "And the headmaster said that there is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except our word — and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. Oh?"

Hermione had just realised that the headmaster had completely discounted her word as a witch and a muggleborn.

"But there was proof!" Luna injected as everyone turned to her. "Sirius Black did not kill Harry when he was at his mercy. He didn't harm anyone including professor Snape. In fact they were all returning to the castle when the Dementors attacked." Thoughtfully leaving out the bit about a wolf.

"All year we were told that Sirius was trying to get to Harry to murder him." Neville said. "That was why the Minister forced the Board to have Dementors surrounding the school."

"Yes, Minister Fudge is still driving everything to have Sirius Black kissed." Madam Bones added. "And very good reasoning, Miss Luna Lovegood. That should have been enough proof to stop the execution and start an investigation." Luna smiled.

"Oh?" Harry and Hermione said and Hermione continued. "That is so obvious now and Minister Fudge couldn't claim we were confunded alive."

Harry continued. "Dumbledore said he believed us, but he focused on the negative side of the situation. That Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"And that the headmaster had no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic." Hermione added and it was Madam Bones' turn to laugh.

"Sorry." Madam Bones calmed herself. "But Albus Dumbledore is the most Machiavellian Manipulator I have had the misfortune to ever cross paths with. The sheeple believe his word as god. It was his word and his word alone that saved his Potions professor from Azkaban and any punishment for his crimes. While the headmaster of Hogwarts could have granted Sirius sanctuary in the castle." She paused to let that settle. "The headmaster of Hogwarts couldn't overrule the Minister of Magic. But if the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot had any doubts, it would be his duty to investigate. So if the most senior Ministry legal official, Albus Dumbledore, wanted to free Sirius Black, he only had to say the word."

"Oh?" Hermione said as she reviewed in her mind what happened that night. "We were in the hospital ward and trying to convince the Minister of Sirius's innocence while professor Snape gave a plausible explanation that damned Sirius. The argument was getting heated while the headmaster didn't say a word and Madam Pomfrey was trying to calm things down when the headmaster then said he wanted to speak to Harry and I alone and stopped the argument cold."

"Oh? Did the headmaster speak platitudes about the sanctity of life and demand that Sirius be returned to Azkaban unharmed like he did for the worst of the murdering Death Eaters?"

Harry and Hermione shook their heads.

"Did the headmaster claim that Sirius was innocent?"

"No, he hadn't said anything, it was mainly professor Snape talking to the Minister about some award for the capture of Sirius when we told him that Sirius was innocent and it was Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed Harry's parents."

"Oh, the headmaster just let you two protest Sirius's innocence?"

"Er yes, and Ronald added a bit about Peter being his rat which seemed to confuse the Minister. But after we had mentioned Peter Pettigrew, the headmaster just said he wanted to speak to us and just sent the Minister, professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey, away like recalcitrant children. They weren't happy but they obeyed." She turned to Madam Bones. "You are right, if the headmaster wanted Sirius free he only had to say the word and it was his word back in 1981 that damn Sirius to Azkaban."

Madam Bones smiled and acknowledged the reasoned support. "And the headmaster didn't say the word for Sirius that night."

"No, he didn't say anything to the Minister that supported Sirius. He just shooed them away like they were naughty children." Harry said in wonder. "The Minister, professor Snape and even the scary Madam of Pain."

Madam Bones chuckled at the reference to her friend. "And Sirius escaped?"

"Er yes. The Minister was most upset that he would lose all that positive publicity but professor Snape was absolutely furious that Sirius wasn't kissed, while the headmaster was calm and pleased with himself."

Hermione thoughtfully added. "It was as if the headmaster had succeeded in getting what he wanted while the Minister, professor Snape and Sirius were completely blocked from getting what they wanted or needed." She turned to Harry. "And the headmaster may have disappointed professor Snape but Sirius was still trapped out in the cold."

"Oh, I wonder what the headmaster has on professor Snape to be able to control him like that. He was absolutely furious." Harry said from his painful knowledge of how bullies operated.

"That is the master Machiavellian Manipulator in action." Madam Bones shook her head in frustration. "The headmaster controlled the wards of Hogwarts and while everyone was in the Hospital ward, he could have unlocked the dungeon and allow Sirius to accidentally escape."

"Er, Sirius wasn't in the dungeons." Harry said.

"Oh?" Madam Bones said getting interested.

"Sirius was locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower." Hermione added automatically.

"Oh?" Madam Bones said as she thought about the detailed answer. "Did the headmaster expect Sirius to just fly away?"

"Er, yes." Harry said uncomfortably.

"Would you suspect the headmaster was involved in Sirius's escape?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Oh, please, that escape has Dumbledore written all over it." Madam Bones chuckled. "Sirius was captured outside the castle and taken up seven floors to the West Tower instead of the dungeons. All he would have to do was distract the Minister by bringing everyone to the Hospital ward, the Minister would love to get a photo of himself with you, then the next day's headline would be; Minister Fudge saves Harry Potter from Sirius Black. Then headmaster would remotely unlock the office with a thought command to the wards of Hogwarts, send a house-elf with a school broom and goodbye Sirius."

"Oh?" Harry and Hermione said feeling a little like they had been used by the headmaster.

"Sirius would be alive but still trapped just as effectively as if he had never left Azkaban." Madam Bones finished as she carefully watch these two. It was obvious that they knew a lot about Sirius's escape. So she added. "While the headmaster was unperturbed by the events, Minister Fudge was most upset that a dangerous criminal had escaped along with a Hippogriff earlier that evening and then the Dementors tried to kiss the Boy-Who-Lived. To block any chance of the Daily Prophet from getting any details, the Minister declared the official secrets act and blocked any investigation by my department."

"Third time!" Harry said.

"Excuse me?" Madam Bones asked.

"That was the third time that the Dementors tried to kiss Harry." Hermione explained. "On the Hogwarts Express, during the Gryffindor Hufflepuff Quidditch match and that night Sirius escaped."

"Damn bloody fools!" Madam Bones cursed as she made more notes. "I am so sorry, Harry, I could have ordered the Dementors back to Azkaban if I had known."

"Oh?" Then Hermione turned to Harry. With a glance they communicated that the headmaster could have easily done what Madam Bones suggested, but instead he deliberately had exposed two third year students to extreme grave danger as he broke about a dozen rules and laws to send them back out into the forbidden forest to save Buckbeak and Sirius. Knowing that there were hundreds of Dementors, a vicious crazy werewolf and a very dangerous Death Eater out there. They realised that the headmaster only wanted to spare Sirius from being executed. But not to completely save him and certainly not to free him, and he had manipulated them to do so. Harry shook his head disgusted that the headmaster had so wilfully put Hermione in such terrible danger. But he realised that the manipulative headmaster had trapped them in their silence as he couldn't say anything as that would reveal Hermione's misuse of the Time-Turner and their part in Sirius' escape.

Madam Bones watched the non-verbal communication between the two, so far she had noted that Sirius had indeed flown away and the headmaster didn't want Peter Pettigrew discussed or investigated. After all it was the headmaster who pushed for Pettigrew to be posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin instead of the Potters or their son. She looked up while Neville and Luna tried to explain what Harry and Hermione were doing.

"Yeah, they do that all the time." Neville said.

"And it leaves out all the juicy bits." Luna added disappointed.

"But it saves a lot of time."

"Particularly when Ronald is around."

"Yeah, he really hates it."

"And demands to know."

"What they were talking about."

"But they only give him a very brief summary."

"Which just makes him angrier."

"His head is full of Wrackspurts."

"Oh!" Said Madam Bones knowingly as she made a note, and getting a warm smile from the blonde but she was starting to get a sore neck as she turned back to Harry and Hermione.

"You know what Wrackspurts are?" Asked Hermione.

"It's an ongoing investigation and no clue can be overlooked." Madam Bones smirked with a non answer. "But Miss Lovegood is correct in assuming that something is not right with Mr Weasley or Professor Snape and I do hear a lot of very creative language. I just make a note and wait for it to be explained."

"Oh?" Said Luna with a smile. "A Wrackspurts, they're invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy, I thought I felt hundreds zooming around in the Great Hall tonight."

"Oh. The headmaster has a similar effect on a lot of people." Madam Bones said as she made a note as Luna agreed.

Madam Bones looked at Harry and Hermione with a questioning eye to encourage them to divulge what they had discussed with their eyes.

"Sirius is my godfather and wanted me to live with him. I would be free of Durzkaban and the headmaster wouldn't be able to insist I go back there, and I wouldn't have to be a burden on the Weasleys." Harry said very disappointed.

"Oh?" Madam Bones said as she realised that she had been given a very brief summary but more importantly she had been given the missing link to Sirius Black's freedom. She noted that the Weasleys and the headmaster were also involved. "The headmaster has always said that Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper who betrayed your parents. It was the headmaster's word that got Sirius sent straight to Azkaban without a trial."

"Oh?" Harry asked as he recalled what the headmaster had said. "He told us that he gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

" _ **Had been**_ the Potters' Secret-Keeper." Hermione added carefully. "Which was true, but Sirius had not been the last Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Oh? Any change of a Secret-Keeper would automatically require the secret to be shared again." Madam Bones explained. "So he would have known that the Secret-Keeper had been changed and you know that the headmaster would demand to know who to."

"Oh?" Harry said and then asked. "So he knew all along?"

Madam Bones nodded sadly.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "What has the headmaster said lately?"

"Nothing about Sirius Black, he hasn't interfered or said anything which is most unlike him as he loves to interfere in everything, while Minister Fudge has pushed the order, to have Sirius kissed, on to the back burner. And the headmaster has hidden behind the Minister's gag order, because, as the Chief Warlock, it should have been his duty to have Sirius Black completely investigated if he had any doubts, let alone knew he was guiltless for all those years. He has kept silent about the fact that Sirius wasn't the Secret-Keeper nor had he said that Sirius was innocent." Madam Bones replied a little disgusted with the great leader of the light and how easily the manipulator gets his way, while she hoped Hermione and Harry would get the hint to not be silent and insist on an investigation into the mysterious case of missing godfather if there was a new Chief Warlock soon. "What is Durzkaban?"

"Er, the headmaster insists that I live with my, er, relatives, the Dursleys, my mother's sister is aunt Petunia Dursley." Harry explained. "And Azkaban has Dementors."

"Oh, but to compare your relatives with Dementors?" Madam Bones asked concerned.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I have been close up and personal with both, the Dursleys and the Dementors, but I understand that they actually have to feed you in Azkaban."

"Oh!." Madam Bones was beginning to understand why the four students thought asking a professor for help was such a joke, and more importantly, why Mr Potter didn't hesitate to use his wand against the headmaster to protect Hermione. She made some more notes and then added.

"I have always found that one needs to listen very carefully to what the headmaster actually says. If Sirius is your ticket to get out of this _Durzkaban_ , then maybe the headmaster wants to keep you there, and therefore he will find any excuse not to help Sirius win his freedom."

"He certainly insisted I stay there, each time I have asked." Harry said and then realised what Madam Bones had meant. He gave a grim smile. "Oh! Suddenly, I don't feel so bad about disarming the headmaster."

"Me too." Hermione said slowly. "It is such a pity that the headmaster may not be able to do his duty as Chief Warlock."

Madam Bones smiled as she agreed and then made a note to ask for a copy of the memory of Mr Potter disarming the headmaster, and then added a second note remind her to ask more about Durzkaban later as she brought the interview back to the piece of parchment.

Madam Bones continued. "So, the headmaster was aware that Barty junior was alive and had entered your name?"

"Yes, for a fourth school, St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys." Harry replied. "That is the same school that the Dursleys tell everyone that I have gone to."

Madam Bones nodded and noted as Hermione added. "And confunded the Goblet to accept the forth school."

Luna continued. "Which was a very dangerous thing to do on such a powerful ancient magical artefact, and totally unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?"

"Yes, a powerful Confundus curse wouldn't have worked on the engraved ancient runes contained in such a powerful ancient magical artefact, and Luna had spotted that the configuration of the ancient runes on the Goblet of Fire had been already set to allow for four schools before Barty junior entered Harry's name." Hermione explained.

"Oh!" Madam Bones wondered who had reset the configuration of the Goblet of Fire.

"So, when the headmaster caught the fourth name, we already had a plan and Harry had executed it brilliantly. He had confronted the headmaster about his Age-Line and as expected the pet Death Eater ran interference to protect his master." Hermione summarised.

Harry continued. "While I felt the telltale sign of a compulsion curse to force me to do what the headmaster wanted. I was so angry that I stuck to my guns and gave a reasoned explanation as to why this was all Dumbledore's fault as I stared down the obtuse Potions master. Then I saw something changed, and Sna." Hermione gave Harry a correcting glare as it was important to make a good impression on Madam Bones. "Er, _Professor Snape_ , looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Then I felt a full-blown Imperius curse from the headmaster that he had wandlessly cast on me to try and force me to do what he wanted."

"An Imperius curse?" A surprised Madam Bones questioned. "Do you know what an Imperius curse feels like?"

"Yeah, it feels like the most wonderful awareness. I felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in my head was gently wiped away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. I could stand there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching me. And then I heard the headmaster's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of my empty brain: _Be silent and follow his directions. It was for the Greater Good._ " Harry answered the shocked Head of the DMLE.

"How? Where were you exposed to the Imperius Curse?" Madam Bones demanded.

"Professor Moody told us that the headmaster wanted us taught what it feels like." Hermione answered. "Professor Moody put the Imperius Curse on each of us in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects."

"Everyone? Fourteen year old? Underage children?" Madam Bones questioned careful not to over react as they all nodded.

The Alastor Moody she knew was a very tough Auror but he would never use that terrible Unforgivable curse on a child. She turned to see Poppy was caring for the old Auror on the floor near the Goblet of Fire. Someone had used a dark paralysing curse on her former mentor and no one had been able to remove it. Next to the Auror was the headmaster. Poppy had told her that Dumbledore had made her swear an unbreakable oath to always treat him in Hogwarts and to never send him to St Mungo's. The force at which the headmaster hit the stone wall had broken every bone in his body and Poppy was keeping him alive with the Draught of Living Death as it will take weeks to painfully regrow each bone. She noticed that the headmaster was closest to the large fire and she smirked as she thought how toasty he would be and that he should be getting used to it, if she could send him directly there. She turned back to the four students.

"All of fourth year that we know."

"Including my Susan?"

"Yes. She gave a great rendition of the Frank Sinatra song 'My Way'."

"She did?"

"Yes."

"That would be very UN-Hufflepuff of her."

"She sang it brilliantly."

"Damned headmaster!"

"Professor Moody got our classmates to do the most extraordinary things under its influence. He ordered Draco Malfoy to say the word; _'rhubarb'_ , instead of the words; _'my, father, hears and the 'M' word'_." Hermione said.

As Harry continued. "Malfoy went red and cursed. _'_ _When rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb this! Stop laughing you rhubarb!'_ " As they all laugh because the boy couldn't express himself without using those words.

Madam Bones could imagine how the little miscreant would react from what her Susan had told her about the Slytherin bully.

Hermione continued. "Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state."

"Neville?" Madam Bones questioned as the boy blushed.

"Yes."

"Your Gran would be furious if she found out." Madam Bones said to the boy as the young blonde wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when professor Moody had removed it. Except for Ronald." Hermione continued.

"Ronald Weasley?"

"Yeah, he had run from the classroom before the professor could lifted the curse." Harry explained.

"The professor had used the Imperius Curse to force him to say that he loved Slytherins, use a knife and fork, and to skip very second step. Ronald refused to go anywhere near the professor to have the curse removed." Hermione added annoyed that Ronald was such a coward.

Neville continued the sad tale of the cursed Ronald. "And his mother was furious when she found out that her ickle Ronniekins had eaten with a knife and fork from the Slytherin House Table, and was still skipping every second step a week later. She tried to send professor Moody a howler but he blew it up."

"Harry was to only one who could fight the curse and throw it off." Hermione said proudly.

"Professor Moody wanted me to jump onto the desk." Harry explained. "I started to bend my knees obediently, preparing to jump, when another voice in the back of my head asked, _'why, though?' 'It was a stupid thing to do, really.'_ Moody tried again to order me to jump onto the desk, when the other voice said, _'No, I don't think I will, thanks,'_ and a little more firmly. _'no, I don't really want to.'_ "

"Then professor Moody yelled at Harry to _'jump! NOW!'_ " Hermione explained. "And Harry sort of jumped and not jumped at the same time."

"Yeah, I ended up hitting the desk with my knees." Harry said as he rubbed his still bruised knees.

"Professor Moody did it four times until Harry could throw the curse off." Hermione continued.

"What! Four times! In less than an hour?"

"In less than fifteen minutes! But as I had learnt how to fight the curse, it made it easier to identify and resist the headmaster's Imperius Curse." Harry explained to a very angry Madam Bones. "The headmaster's curse was far stronger than the one Professor Moody had done and the headmaster was casting it wandlessly and silently beckoning with just his hands."

"But My Harry was still able to throw off the terrible curse." Hermione continued before Madam Bones got any angrier. "Then that Ministry official tried to add his two Knuts' worth and tried to force Harry to compete just because he said so. We came up with plan 'V', to spook the Ministry by using the 'V' word and declaring the fourth champion would be Voldemort's Champion. And if the ministry continued to argue that, they would push Harry into an undignified impossible position of being Voldemort's Champion."

"Then unexpectedly Professor Snape cut off Dumbledore's move to force his will, and dropped the clanger about the headmaster trying to set me up to face a dragon, and pandemonium erupted as all the adults started to yell at the headmaster." Harry smiled happily remembering the adults confronting Dumbledore. "I saw the headmaster get very angry, and draw out his famous wand. Instinctively I drew my own, and when I heard the start of the Memory Curse, I quickly screamed the Disarming Hex with everything I had as I pointed my wand at the headmaster."

"Harry caught the famous wand as the headmaster went cartwheeling into the back wall of the Great Hall, and the brilliant shower of tiny stars felt all over us as the wand spoke in our minds." Hermione continued. "And you saw the pandemonium that erupted until you arrived."

Madam Bones was livid after Harry explained how he could detect and resist the compulsion hex and the Imperius Curse after Professor Moody's lesson on the three Unforgivables. She was shocked to discover that the headmaster could cast a wandless Imperius Curse at Harry in a crowd Great Hall, but that explained how the Chief Warlock got his way in the Wizengamot. She asked for a memory of the event as she wanted to see if she could feel the wandless Imperius curse being cast by the headmaster, but really she just wanted to watch the old manipulative fool go cartwheeling into the wall.

But something clicked in Madam Bones' mind and she asked. "How did you know the headmaster was going to cast the Memory Charm?"

"Well, at the end of second year, Ginny Weasley had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione had worked out what Slytherin's monster was, and we had worked out where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets could be, and Ronald thought it would be a good idea to take professor Lockhart with us." Harry started to explained. "In the tunnels under the school, professor Lockhart stole Ronald's broken wand and revealed that he was a fraud. That his stories were the work of others and he had used the memory charm to steal their stories. He wanted to obliviate me and Ronald and make his next story about how he discovered the Chamber of Secrets."

"Oh, and he stole Ronald's wand?" Madam Bones had already worked out that Lockhart was a fraud. She used his books as punishment, er, encouragement for underachieving trainees to read between the lines.

"Er, well the other Professors had assigned professor Lockhart the task to find and save Ginny, but he was actually running away and he had to be er, _encouraged_ to go and rescue Ginny at first, and er, lost his wand." Harry put it delicately. "But he used Ronald's broken wand and the memory curse backfired and blew away his own memories. I didn't want that to happen to my friends."

"And the headmaster sent him to St Mungo's without any investigation?" Madam Bones concluded.

The four students shrugged their shoulders.

Madam Bones made some more notes and then looked up and said one word. "Voldemort?"

"Oh, him." Harry relied. "He escaped in his Wraithmort form after professor Quirrell died. His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle and his Lord Voldemort is just an anagram of his real name. I had a dream about him during summer."

Madam Bones had been quickly writing notes but looked up when Harry mentioned a dream which stopped him. "Go on."

"Er, he was in a big old room with a fireplace, the carpet was rotting as was the furniture. Wormtail er, Peter Pettigrew was there caring for him as was his snake Nagini, and an old muggle whom he murdered. They were discussing plans to remake his body which involved killing me."

"Oh, and you have had dreams about Voldemort before?"

"Er, yes and my scar hurts when he is nearby or extremely happy or angry."

"Oh, have you heard the name Nagini before?"

"No, but that was what he called his familiar snake."

"Anything else?" Madam Bones asked as she made some notes. The dream could be true as only high ranking Death Eaters knew the name of Voldemort's familiar.

"Er, no, wait a minute, there was a witch that recognised Wormtail and had given them a lot of information about some events happening this year that brought Voldemort back to England."

"Oh, do you remember the name of this witch?" Madam Bones ask getting very interested.

"Er, she worked for the Ministry of Magic and her name was, er, Bertha Jorkins."

'Bingo!' Thought Madam Bones. There was no way Mr Potter would have known that name. She calmed herself and then asked. "Bertha Jorkins?"

"Yes, Wormtail found her in a wayside inn and Voldemort searched her mind for information and destroyed it so they killed her." Harry said sadly.

Madam Bones was sad to hear of another murder by Voldemort, she knew of Bertha, the biggest gossip in the Ministry. "Voldemort doesn't have a body?"

Harry looked at Hermione, he had not told anyone this but she nodded to encourage Harry to speak. "Er, not an adult body, it looked like a big ugly baby. It could move its arms and cast magic with his wand but the legs and feet were deformed and it was wrapped up in a blanket."

"Oh?" Madam Bones said as Hermione eyed Harry to remind him of the vision he got this night.

"Oh, yes. I got another rather painful vision earlier tonight shortly after Dumbledore was stopped. Nagini was killed by a star picket through the head. Hermione kissed my scar better and five minutes later it stopped hurting as if a distant fog had lifted from off my mind as though a presence had gone to sleep." Harry said and hoped that meant something to her.

"Oh? A star picket?"

"It is a steel stake with three sides star shaped and about eight feet long with a pointy end. Muggles use them as poles in fences to support the barbed wire strands." Harry explained as both Madam Bones and Neville had never seen one.

"So one would be effective in killing a snake?"

"Absolutely lethal in killing anything even if you got the blunt end." Harry said.

"Your scar has hurt you often?"

"It really started to hurt when I first came to Hogwarts but that was because Voldemort was nearby possessing professor Quirrell. It has hurt when Voldemort is near or extremely angry or happy."

"Happy?"

"He likes to plan and scheme like Dumbledore, and sometimes something works or he is using the Cruciatus curse. He really loves that curse and it really cheers him up. He got Wormtail a couple of times over the summer." Harry replied as if discussing the weather.

"Was he extremely happy tonight?"

"Er no, he was extremely angry when Nagini died."

"Oh! When we have a moment soon, I would like to have your scar checked out."

Madam Bones made some more notes, wrote down _'_ _Scar',_ _'Nagini was killed by a star picket through the head',_ _'_ _sleep'_ and _'_ _no Cruciatus'_ and underlined those words. She was about to send Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna to their dorm when Minister Fudge and his Undersecretary Madam Umbridge arrived fashionably late with a lot of noise and pomp, just in time to see Professor Moody change into Barty Crouch junior as he lost his magic to a flaming fist that came out of the Goblet of Fire. Fudge had junior immediately kissed by one of the Dementors bodyguards he brought with him, much to the anger of Madam Bones, Barty's father and the other adults, while Madam Umbridge demanded that they kiss Potter as well, as it was all his fault for defying the Ministry of Magic.

It was a very tense moment in the Great Hall as all the Aurors looked to Madam Bones for orders. She shook her head. "Mr Potter has not committed any crime."

"But Amelia, the Minister needs to be seen doing something." The toad said sickly.

"He has already done something to Barty Crouch junior before I had a chance to question him!" Madam Bones fired back in disgust, while Fudge was desperately thinking of something to separate the two witches before Dolores pushed the wrong button and got ripped to shreds. Fudge had learnt his lesson to never underestimate Madam Bones.

But Dolores and Harry was saved when a Patronus message charm from the warden of Azkaban arrived for Madam Bones, that stated that Azkaban was being attacked by Death Eaters.

Minister Fudge ordered. "Madam Bones, you will be remaining at Hogwarts, while I and Undersecretary Umbridge leave to save Azkaban. This is obviously the work of Sirius Black! Aurors to me!"

The Aurors looked to Madam Bones who signalled which Aurors were to go with the Minister. Fudge was annoyed that the Auror didn't immediately respond to him while Undersecretary Umbridge was furious that the Aurors were ruining Cornelius' moment of eternal glory.

"Stay safe!" She said as they left the Great Hall. The squad of Aurors Madam Bones had brought with her was her elite squad who were fiercely loyal to her alone and were the best Aurors in the DMLE and contained the biggest, ugliest and toughest wizards and witches that had been personally selected and trained by Alastor Moody. Behind her back they called themselves; 'The Boss' Immortals'. They marched way and understood that Madam Bones' order to stay safe, meant don't let the idiot get you killed.

Madam Bones sent a Patronus Message charm to order her second elite squad to come to Hogwarts and to send all available Aurors to reinforce Azkaban.

Madam Bones excused Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna and they were escorted from the Great Hall by a young Auror with hot pink hair, and returned to the Gryffindor common room only to be confronted by a very angry redhead who was upset that Harry hadn't told his best friend how he entered his name into the Goblet of Fire. Harry was about to respond when Hermione stepped past him and after a few choice words, socked the foul loathsome evil cockroach, crushing his nose and sent him flying into the soft stone wall as the rest of Gryffindor cheered.

Harry turned to Hermione as she looked down at the cockroach.

"That felt really good!" Hermione said quietly to herself as she rubbed her knuckles.

"And you might have knocked some sense into him!" Harry added hopefully as he kissed her knuckles and made them better.

"Not bloody likely." Snorted Neville as Luna nodded in agreement as she said.

"Wrackspurts!"

The four of them found a quiet spot on the couch by the fire. With Hermione in his arms, Harry had never been so happy. The only thing missing was Padfoot. He would have loved to have seen the pandemonium his pup had caused.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	8. An Azkaban intermezzo

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 8. An Azkaban intermezzo.

11/12/17 Beta by alix33. Thank you.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

The cursed Death Eaters arrived on the dock of Azkaban Island and were led by their associate Death Eater and corrupt Auror Corban Yaxley, to the iron doors that was the main entrance to foreboding Fortress of Azkaban. It was cold and dark with just enough mist to be creepy that Halloween night.

The quick plan they had come up with was to have Yaxley use his Auror badge to enter the prison, murder the warden, drop the wards and open the iron doors for his fellow Death Eaters.

So while they waited in the shadows outside the iron doors, Yaxley hobbled over to the old blue Police box, which was missing several panes of glass and stood before the dark walls of the fortress next to the iron doors. He opened the door and stepped inside moss covered box. He tried to pick up the receiver but his hands were shaking so much that he dropped it and it smashed on the floor. He didn't bother about it and just started to dial the secret telephone number, six, two, four, four, two. But his hands were shaking so much he wasn't sure what he had dial.

As the dial whirred smoothly back into place, a cool female voice sounded inside the blue Police box. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban Fortress Prison, Caring for the needs of the worst of the Magical World since 1718. I am sorry but the number you have dial is not connected. Please check the number and dial again."

"Dddammnnn!" Yaxley cursed as he hung up and tried to dial again.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

The lifting of the receiver triggered an alarm in the guard room and the two rookie guards who drew the short straws for duty that Halloween night checked their viewing mirrors to see someone dressed in long black robes and a tall pointy black hat that flowed past their shoulders was trying to dial the secret number but was having difficulty as they seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. In another view their could see a group of similarly dressed individuals wearing white masks trying to hide in the shadows.

"Damn!" Said the rookie guard to his partner as he pressed the rune to alert the Warden. "It must be those Death Eaters from the Quidditch World Cup."

They watched the black hooded figure attempt to dial the magic number four more times before the Warden arrived fully dressed and ready for action. The rookies pointed to the viewing mirrors.

"Damn." He said as he pressed the rune to send a silent alert to wake the rest of the guards, and then cast a Patronus Message Charm. "Go to Madam Bones, Death Eaters are attacking Azkaban. Send all available assistance and have a nice day." The last bit was a check phrase so that Madam Bones would know it came from him and he was not under duress.

The rest of the guards arrived in the guard room and the Warden quickly explained the situation. He left his second in command with three senior guards in the guard room and led the rest to the iron doors of Azkaban.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Yaxley was getting frustrated dialling the stupid number and his fellow Death Eaters were getting restless and starting to curse him when the dial whirred smoothly back into place, a cool female voice sounded inside the blue Police box.

""Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban Fortress Prison, Caring for the needs of the worst of the Magical World since 1718. Please state your name and business."

"Abbouttt bbblllooddy ttttimme." Yaxley cursed as he flashed, well shook his Auror badge at the window in the blue Police box. "Ooooopennn upppp, Iiiii ammm Aaaaurrrrorrrr Yyyyaxxxxleyyyy, andddd Iiii ammmm hhherrre fffforrrr a sssurpppprisssedddd innnspppeccctionnnn."

(For those who are unable to read Cruciatus, Yaxley said. "About bloody time." and "Open up, I am Auror Yaxley and I am here for a surprise inspection.")

"I am sorry, I am fluent in over six million forms of communications, but I am having difficulties understanding the language you are speaking. Are you suffering the effects of the Cruciatus curse? For yes, please dial any number."

"Dddammnnn!" Yaxley screamed as he looked for the any number to dial. He couldn't find it so he just dialled a number.

"Thank you. The Ministry of Magic is sorry for your pain and suffering. Would you like me to contact St Mungo's and have them send out a Mediwizard to your location? Please note that any Mediwizard sent to aid a victim of an Unforgivable curse will be accompanied by an Auror. For yes, please dial any number."

"Dddammnnn!" Yaxley screamed but he didn't dare dial the any number again.

"I am sorry but I didn't receive a response, so I will take that as a no, you don't need assistance. Please wait one moment and I will connect you to an operator." The voice said.

Yaxley punched the phone and screamed. "Dddammnnn!" As he hurt his hand.

"Please don't damage Ministry of Magic property. All breakages must be paid for." The voice said.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

The Warden arrived at the iron doors with about ten guards and fifteen rookies. He looked into his mobile viewing mirror and could see that the black hooded figure in the blue Police box was definitely one of theirs, and worse he was a pompous Pure-Blood. Being a muggleborn wizard the Warden had felt the bigotry against him from the Pure-Blood hierarchy so that the highest position he could obtain in the Ministry of Magic was the Warden of Azkaban Fortress Prison, and that was because no Pure-Blood wanted the job. So when they installed the Telephone Box for the Public Entrance to the Ministry of Magic, he pushed for a blue Police Box for the Public Entrance for Azkaban. He wanted one because it restricted the entrance to only one wizard at a time. The then current single entrance to Azkaban was a small door in the right hand iron door that was only 450mm high and close to the floor but all the Pure-Blood wizards refused to crawl through it and demanded that the main doors open for them which was a major breach of security. Madam Bones went in to bat for him and Fudge only agreed if he obtained his own blue Police box. Fortunately the muggles were phasing them out at that time and he bought five for a bargain price of one pound, and one even already had magic used on it as it was a lot bigger on the inside than outside. Also it was funny watching the Pure-Bloods trying to use the telephone inside the box.

"That's Auror Yaxley. One of Fudge's stooges." The Warden said.

"It looks like he has been tortured with the Cruciatus curse." Said an old guard.

"Yes but is he a hostage or a Trojan Horse?" Added another.

"Fudge will have our heads if he is a hostage and we did nothing to save him." Said a third.

While the rookies watched carefully. Most of them were muggleborns and the rest half-bloods so they had no illusions of what would happen to them if the Death Eaters got in. Even if they had surrendered.

The Warden sized up the situation and outlined his plan. "Wizards, we are under attack from a band of Death Eaters. Probably the same sick mob that attacked the Quidditch World Cup. They will not get into Azkaban while the wards and these iron doors hold. I have already sent word to Madam Bones, so help will be here shortly."

The Warden looked at the grim face wizards. "We need to save Yaxley as he is a Ministry employee. I will allow the blue Police box to enter and you lot be ready to stun him." He turned to the frighten rookies. "You are the last line of defence. Bill take them into the corridor and find cover."

The old muggleborn guard called Bill led the rookies away from the iron doors and into the corridor. He stepped into the shadow of a doorway to show the rookies how to hide. "Right lads, stunners only. Remember, none shall pass."

With the rookies out of the way, the Warden signalled to the other guards to hide with their backs flat to the iron doors as he pushed the rune to bring the blue Police box through the portal in the wall and into the area behind the iron doors.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Yaxley was getting furious with the waiting and his fellows Death Eaters were complaining about the cold.

"Thank you for your patience, the Warden will see you now." said the cool female voice. "Visitors to the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban Fortress Prison, are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the corridor."

"Fffinnally!" Said Yaxley as he got his wand ready to curse.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," said the woman's voice.

The door of the blue Police box slammed shut as it shuddered and moved towards the stone wall of Azkaban while the light on top flashed and it made an odd wheezing, groaning sound.

"EERrwWwoooooSHHHhEERrwWwoooooSHHHhEERrwWwoooooSHHHh."

That sounded like a recording of a front door key scraped up the bass strings on the back of an old Sunday school piano, sped up, slowed down and cut together and added a lot of feedback to get that echoey sound.

The wheezing groaning sound freaked Yaxley as he watched apprehensively as the stone wall seemed to just melt around the box as darkness closed around him. Then he could see nothing at all; he could hear only a wheezing groaning sound as the blue Police box made its way through the wall. After about a minute, though it felt much longer to Yaxley, a chink of golden light illuminated the back of the blue Police box and he got ready for action.

Yaxley attempted to poke his wand through a broken window pane and tried to aim for the Warden.

"Aaaavvvvadddda…." Yaxley screamed.

"Stupefy!" Yelled the Warden and all the guards as the old blue Police box vanished back outside while a stunned Yaxley felled to the floor.

The two guards jumped on Yaxley and beat him to a pulp, er detained him. The Warden searched him and removed any wands, weapons and Portkeys, and tied him up, as the other guards could hear the rest of the Death Eaters as they tried to fire curses at the old blue Police box and the iron doors of Azkaban.

The Warden congratulated his men. "Good work men, Yaxley had been captured and Azkaban is still secured." He called out to the old guard. "Bill, bring the rookies back."

The old guard brought the rookies back. They remembered Yaxley from their orientation and wasn't too impressed by the pompous bigot and he wasn't dressed as an Auror, as he was wearing long black robes with a very tall pointy black hat that came down past his shoulders. But now he was in a closed room they could smell that he stank something awful. The Warden cast a full body bubble charm to keep the smell in.

The Warden picked up Yaxley's white mask and placed it over Yaxley's face. "This is what a Death Eater looks like. This is their full Death Eater regalia with his bone white mask."

"Since the incident at the Quidditch World Cup, Madam Bones has instructed everyone to be on Constant Vigilance." The Warden slowly looks them all in the eye. "They will not be nice, they don't give second chances, and they will kill you painfully."

"Azkaban is secure as long as the wards and this iron door holds. Madam Bones will send help soon. So settle down we may have a long night."

The Warden turned to the two rookies who had been on duty in the guard room. "Good work, you two. You are probably wondering why I let this scumbag in?"

The rookies nodded.

"Well, he is an Auror, and I didn't know if he was their hostage who had been tortured with the Cruciatus curse or not, and they would have threatened to kill him to force us to open the doors." The Warden said. "Now we are certain that he is a scumbag Death Eater and we can leave the rest of those scumbags out in the cold until help arrives."

Then a Patronus Message arrived in the shape of a cute little kitten with a pink bow around its neck that announced in an irritating high loud little girl voice.

"Hem, hem. Never fear, poor unfortunate minions of the Ministry of Magic, Cornelius J. Fudge, your fearless leader, is on the way to save you!"

The kitten spoke proudly and then in a softer girly voice quickly rushed through the next statement.

"This message was written and spoken by the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Madam Dolores J. Umbridge, on behalf of the right honourable Minister of Magic, Cornelius J. Fudge, you may kneel and kiss the hem of his robes." and ended with a girlish giggle.

"Damn! We're doomed!" Bewailed the Warden. "Azkaban! To arms! Battle mode! Seal everything! Release the Dementors and give them Hell!"

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

When word of the attack on Azkaban reached them. Fudge immediately left with his Undersecretary and all available Aurors thinking he would get better publicity saving Azkaban than trying to sort out the mess Dumbledore had made. Leaving a furious Madam Bones in charge of the Great Hall.

And he was correct up to a point.

Minister Fudge and Undersecretary Umbridge took cover down at the dock of Azkaban and as he assumed that these Death Eaters were the lowlife riffraff that had been gathered by Sirius Black and were under the Imperius curse. He gave his final instructions to the Aurors. "No Unforgivables curses!" Wink, wink. "I want Sirius Black taken alive!" Wink, wink.

The grim-faced Aurors winked back as they agreed that the Undersecretary's pink rose perfume was overpowering and even eye watering when standing near her for too long. But they didn't need to use the Unforgivable curses as the standard tactics for the Death Eaters was to run when the Aurors arrived.

The grim-faced Aurors sized up the situation and could see that these Death Eaters had been encouraged by the Cruciatus curse and couldn't point their wands as they were shaking uncontrollably or say their curses as they were stuttering so much that they were yet to breach the iron doors of the prison nor had they dropped the anti-Portkey wards that surrounded Azkaban for their escape. In fact all the wards of Azkaban were still strong and active. Also in the doom and gloom that surrounded Azkaban, the Aurors could see that the Dementors had gathered on either side of the Death Eaters waiting their opportunity. The grim faced Auror took up their position and fired a few Reducto curses into the stone walls to get the attention of the Death Eaters.

When the cursed Death Eaters saw the spell fire hitting the stone wall they turned around and saw the biggest, ugliest and toughest Aurors from the Boss' Immortals standing there behind them waving a hello. They tried to cast killing curses but couldn't say the words. When their emergency Portkeys failed to work due to the wards, the Death Eaters panicked and blindly hobbled into the waiting arms of the Dementors who cheerfully kissed all of them.

The Boss' Immortals checked the area and found no other Death Eaters hiding. Gawain Robards, leader of the Boss' Immortals, knocked on the iron door and gave the all clear as the Warden lifted the Battle mode and opened the iron door.

The Warden warmly welcomed the Boss' Immortals. "I am so glad to see you. I was afraid that Fumble Fudge was coming."

"You're welcome, Madam Bones sends her regards, but Fudge is still coming." Robards said as he pointed to the two figures trying to rush up from the dock where they were hiding.

"Damn." The Warden cursed. "Well I got one you can question before they get here." And pointed to Yaxley as Robards gave a predatory grin when he saw the Death Eater regalia.

Gawain Robards ordered the Boss' Immortals to collect the Death Eaters' wands and any Portkeys, their identities and check for any controlling curses, while he questioned the captured Death Eater Yaxley.

Fudge made a grand entrance and tried to stop the questioning of Yaxley but Robards had got what he needed. Even when faced with the proof, Fudge still refused to have the captured Death Eater kissed as he was a fine upstanding Pure-Blood wizard from a rich family who was unfortunately suffering from the effects of the Imperius Curse, no doubt cast by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's right hand lieutenant, the notorious Sirius Black. The Warden thought that was a good idea and had Yaxley placed in the cell that once contained Sirius Black, right next to his fellow Death Eaters.

Robards was very concerned with the information he had extracted from the mind of Yaxley. He saw that it was the dark lord who had summoned them, cursed them and sent them to Azkaban and that Lucius Malfoy was very painfully dead. It was information that he knew Fudge would not want to hear.

"Sir, Azkaban is secure. Unfortunately the Death Eaters refused to surrender and were kissed by the Dementors as they tried to escape. Here is a list of the dead." Robards informed the Minister.

Umbridge snatched the list out of his hand and went white as she quickly read the names and showed it to Cornelius. "Sirius Black is missing!"

"Where is Sirius Black. You better have not let him escape!" Minister Fudge was furious to discover that none of the many rich Pure-Blood wizards that had been kissed was Sirius Black.

"Yaxley said that their leader didn't come with them." Robards deflected. "But he did give us a location to check."

Minister Fudge was furious until Madam Umbridge quietly reminded him in her irritating little girly voice. "Cornelius calm down you are ruining the moment. You know as soon as we get back to the Ministry we can fill out the parchment forms to seize and confiscate all of their property and wealth as the proceeds of nefarious ill-gotten activities."

And then in a far quieter girly voice she continued. "And more importantly we can blame all this senseless waste of good Pure-Blood wizards on Bones and her band of vicious thugs who ignored your clear humane instructions and viciously slaughtered them. Think Auror Brutality! It will ruin her and then you can drop her into Azkaban and throw away the key."

The Minister was having a hissy fit as Robards overheard what the toad was planning for his boss and he needed to get a message to her. So he wanted to act on the intelligence gained from the captured Death Eater Yaxley.

"Never fear sir, my squad will capture their leader."

"Go and be sure that you do." Fudge hissed.

Robards took the Boss' Immortals to Little Hangleton to investigate the old muggle mansion. They secured the site and carried out their investigation and found the dead snake and the remains of Lucius Malfoy. Robards returned to Hogwarts to give a full report to Madam Bones.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Meanwhile in room a the front of the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Madam Bones was conducting the interviews of the Hogwarts' staff while in another room, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Bartemius "Barty" Crouch Senior was trying to console and calm things down with the two other schools and the foreign Ministry officials. He quickly got rid of Ludo as the idiot was just upsetting everyone, but he did discover that no one particularly liked Dumbledore so it was easy for him to blame the headmaster for everything. After he had calmed everyone down and sent them to their quarters.

Gawain Robards arrived and gave a full report to Madam Bones who was pleased to see that all the Death Eaters who had bribed their way out of Azkaban at the end of the Blood War had been kissed and Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be around to bribe Fudge anymore. Plus her own pet Death Eater Yaxley was rotting in Azkaban.

Madam Bones thanked Robards. "Thank you, Robards; I am sure you are glad to see some action."

"Yes, Boss, it felt good to close that chapter."

"Yes indeed, please pass on my thanks to the rest of your squad."

"Thank you, I will." Then in a quiet whisper. "But I overheard Umbridge; she is going to blame the murders of the Pure-Blood Death Eaters on you and your mob of vicious thugs."

"Damn bloody typical. Thank you. I need to work out what to do." Madam Bones hissed as Robards nodded. "Please take a break."

Madam Bones was lost in thought for what to do about the toad's plot against her. She had been trying to get her for years and with so many dead rich Pure-Blood wizards, the Wizengamot will be looking for someone to blame and it didn't matter that they were Death Eaters caught red handed. She hated politics and after over a half century of the old fools manipulations and intrigues he had turned it into a cesspit where he got what he wanted and no one else got what they needed. But without Dumbledore to pull strings to influence them to his way of thinking, she knew that Fudge would save his own butt by letting them have her head. Even though she knew that her Immortals would take the fall for her but she would not let her dear friends sacrifice themselves in their hour of victory for an evil despicable toad.

Her only chance was for Madam Longbottom to argue on her behalf. For it was Madam Umbridge, who in her capacity as Undersecretary, was the Ministry's most senior controller of the Dementors present at Azkaban, only she had the authority to stand down the Dementors. Where was Madam Umbridge when those unfortunate Pure-Blood wizards needed her to save them from the Dementors.

Sadly, even then she knew it would come down to the numbers. And whether she could gather enough support. But blaming Dumbledore will alienate his light side faction even though he caused this mess. So her future depends on how many hated the toad more than they disliked her. She knew if she lost, the toad would go after Harry Potter next. And a sudden chill ran down her spine.

A little later another urgent Patronus message arrived for Madam Bones from the Warden of Azkaban that left her laughing as she wondered what the Minister and his toad had done to upset the Guardian Angel of Harry Potter.

This changed everything and Madam Bones was a quantum leap closer to achieving her very Hufflepuff goals of removing the corruption and Pure-Blood bigotry from the Ministry of Magic. She smiled for the first time in many years. In the Ministry of Magic hierarchy, she was third after the Chief Warlock and so with Minister Fudge and the Chief Warlock Dumbledore out of commission, she was now the acting interim Minister of Magic.

"This is good, very good indeed." Madam Bones smiled. "And better yet, when the Wizengamot demands to know who to blame for the death of so many Pure-Blood wizards, she will be happy to blame Fudge and Umbridge. It would be the truth and she would see if they could handle it."

Madam Bones called Robards back to her and told him the good news. He was so happy that he swept up Madam Bones in his arms and kissed the boss as he dipped her. Then he realised what he had just done. He carefully put her back up on her feet and sheepishly mumbled. "Sorry, Boss."

Madam Bones smiled as she rather enjoyed that. "That's acting Boss of Bosses now, and you are forgiven. Now I have a rather urgent assignment for you. I need you to go to the Ministry and remove the trophy cabinet that Dumbledore had on display outside his Chief Warlock office that contained all of his awards including his Order of Merlin and the one given to Peter Pettigrew that he borrowed from his mother, and bring it to me here."

"It will be a pleasure, Madam." Robards smiled and left.

Madam Bones was about to leave to go to Azkaban when Barty Crouch senior heard the good news and cheerfully volunteered to go and sort out the mess Fudge had made. It was the least he could do for Cornelius Fudge after the Minister had his only son kissed by a Dementor in front of him.

Madam Bones thought that she may even let Barty fill out the forms to seize and confiscate the Death Eaters fortunes particularly the ill gotten gains of Lucius Malfoy.

Madam Bones waved Barty off as she whispered.

"Thank Merlin for Harry Potter."

"You have made my day!"

"And tomorrow!"

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	9. The Spy and the Boss

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 9. The Spy and the Boss.

18/12/17 Beta by alix33, thank you and your suggestion with the Doc Martens.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

Previously in a dark forbidden place far far away in the North Sea. It all fell apart for Minister Fudge. His Undersecretary signalled for Bozo, the ace photographer from the Daily Prophet, whom Madam Umbridge had brought with them to Hogwarts and then Azkaban, in case of a positive photo opportunity. Bozo and all his equipment was the reason why the Minister was so late to arrive.

While they waited for Bozo to walk up quickly from the dock of Azkaban where he had been hiding, Madam Umbridge started to draft the press release er, article as Rita was forgetting how to spell Umbridge correctly. Bozo quickly assessed the situation and decided to have a full front page photo of the victorious Fudge and Toad with the Warden of Azkaban and the Dementors with the black iron doors of Azkaban in the background.

"Good idea, Bozo." Minister Fudge agreed. "I want the best photo possible. One worthy to fill the front page of the Daily Prophet. After Dumbledore's fall, we need a new hero. Me!"

"Yes, sir, Mr Minister." Bozo said as he decided to change the arrangement for the best pose. "Well then, could we have just you with your To, er, Undersecretary standing next to you. If you could strike a heroic pose and your Undersecretary look up adoringly while the Dementors gather around as they hold up the Death Eater robes and white masks."

The Minister pushed the Warden of Azkaban out of the picture as he didn't want to share the glory with a Mu, er, muggleborn. Then he struck a heroic pose with his chin up and a hand tucked into his beautiful blue robes like Napoleon as the toad tried to look up adoringly into his face with the contented fed Dementors gathered way too close to them. Unfortunately, it was the Warden who had the powerful talisman which kept a large number of Dementors at a distance and prevented them getting too close and personal, while the Minister's talisman was only good for his two Dementor bodyguards and Madam Umbridge was not expecting to travel to Azkaban that night and so she had left the hideous looking master talisman at her office as it clashed dreadfully with her pink robes.

As it was still night outside the black foreboding iron doors of Azkaban and with the Dementors being so dark, Bozo decided to triple charge two of his biggest magnesium flash powder lamps. They were all smiles and sneers until the flashes went off blinding everyone as the Toad's girly screeching rent the night and terrified the poor frightened Dementors. By the time the smoke had cleared, you can imagine what had happened and who knew Dementors were still afraid of bright lights and extremely loud horrible high-pitched shrieking.

Tomorrow's the Daily Prophet had the headline;

"TRAGEDY AT AZKABAN!"

"FUDGE SAVES THE NIGHT"

"AND GETS"

"KISSED BY DEMENTORS!"

With a full page picture of the enraged Dementors kissing Fudge and Umbridge. It was supposed to be terrible to witness the Dementor's kiss, but seeing the toad being kissed by three Dementors at once was very therapeutic and had made everyone's day with the bonus of having her soul torn three ways that triple damned her. On page three there was a half page photo of Madam Bones as the Interim Minister of Magic encouraging the call for calm after the loss of so many wizards in the disastrous attack on Azkaban. The following pages were filled with all the good things Fudge had done. Well that took up half a page while rest contained the obituaries for the toady, the toad and the unfortunate Pure-Blood wizards who had been acting under the Imperius curse. While Dumbledore's fall from grace was pushed back to page ten.

And there was no mention of Voldemort's Champion or Harry Potter and that was the way he liked it.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Professor Snape had to return to Hogwarts to tie up loose ends and went straight to his potions lab to set up his cover story. The dark paralysing curse he had placed on Barty junior would not last forever once the Aurors arrived and the insane Death Eater needed to be silenced for good, but he need not have worried as by the time he had returned, the Goblet of Fire had stripped the Death Eater of his magic and the Polyjuice potion failed revealing Moody had changed back into Barty junior. Just in time for Minister Cornelius Fudge to have him immediately kissed by one of his Dementor bodyguards. But the body had been removed and no one had bothered to tell him. So Professor Snape was found as he was taking a fresh load of potions from the dungeons to the hospital ward where he had expected to find the cursed Moody.

It was very late by the time Madam Bones got to question Professor Snape and she had kept him isolated from the other staff when he had finally showed up. She questioned him about his absence from the Great Hall and being a former Death Eater.

"I left the Great Hall after Potter cursed the headmaster. I felt my presence would inflame the situation as Potter really hates me whereas he actually liked the headmaster." Snape replied.

Madam Bones snorted. "Oh, I don't think you would have been noticed if you put on a dress and an old hat with a buzzard on it. It was absolute pandemonium when I arrived." Susan had told her what had happened to Neville Longbottom and the Boggart, and from the look on the professor's face, he had found out too and was not amused.

"Oh?"

"And that's Mister Potter, professor, we must remember the niceties of civilised society. After all Mr Potter always referred to you as professor Snape, in his interview."

"He did?" Severus said surprised. "And he hasn't been arrested for attacking the headmaster?"

"Oh, no, Mr Potter stopped the old fool from causing a major international incident."

"Oh?"

"Yes! He is a hero!" Madam Bones said cheerfully as she turned the screw.

"Oh?" Professor Snape said more bitterly to himself. "It's just not fair!"

"Now you didn't just leave Hogwarts to answer the summons from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Madam Bones asked as she carefully watched the reaction of the marked former Death Eater as he rubbed his left arm and wanted to know why he hadn't been involved in the attack on Azkaban. She knew that Veritaserum would be unlikely to work on one as skilled in the mind arts and a Potions Master as Severus Snape, but with her years of experience she didn't need it to get the truth. She had learnt very early that being a witch in a wizard's world, the bigoted wizards believed that they were stronger, smarter, cleverer and just better than anyone else. So all she needed to do was ask the right questions in the right way to feed their pride and they would tell her how brilliant they were along with everything she wanted to know and a lot of things she really didn't want to know. This often meant that she had to act as if this was the first time she heard things that she already knew. But she was a witch so that was not that hard to do.

'Bloody Hell', Severus thought. 'She is on the attack to shock me. She is as sharp as a Slytherin! I can see why the headmaster ordered me to stay away from her.' But his practiced demeanour of serving two pedantic overscrupulous masters didn't betray him.

"No, I didn't leave Hogwarts. I have some very delicate potions brewing and needed to carefully monitor them." Severus lied smoothly as he did actually have some potions brewing but they were not that delicate and he added. "They were for the headmaster."

Madam Bones stared at him and didn't bite at the obvious prevarication but just raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Maybe that was Black's handiwork. Our illustrious Minister of Magic is always blaming it on that bogey wizard."

Severus sneered as he said that hated name, happy that he could blame it on the mongrel.

"Really?" Madam Bones continued to stare until she got the particular answer she wanted. She had never accepted that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters.

Severus put his hands up. "Okay, okay, er.. The headmaster may have forgotten to inform me of Quirrell's possession back in 1991, and I may have been a little less than civil towards Quirrell when he was possessed by the dark lord's wraith and he thought it would be a good idea to delay reporting to dark lord if and when he summons, to keep my cover."

Severus smirked as he saw the astonished look on Madam Bones' face as she was speechless, so he continued to blame the headmaster, and he pushed the sleeve back on his left arm to show Madam Bones his faded dark mark. "Dumbledore refused to remove this dark mark as he wanted me to resume my spying for him when the dark lord returned. I had shown the headmaster that the dark mark had grown darker over the summer."

"What? Dumbledore knew He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can return?" Madam Bones had collected herself enough to speak and asked alarmed to play her part but she had noticed the faint little red dot on the potions professor's dark mark that looked like a hot wand had been pressed into his skin. She knew enough of the way the dark mark worked that Voldemort used his wand to touch the dark mark of one of his slaves to summon the rest. She filed that first bit of very important information away. She noted the second bit of information. If Snape expects to return to his spying then Dumbledore was planning for and would allow Voldemort to return to power, and that was treason for the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Severus was surprised when the loyalty charms didn't kick in. Whatever Potter had done to the old goat had broken them, so he pressed home his advantage. "Yes, didn't he tell you? The headmaster gave him a job teaching the dark arts in Mr Potter's first year. The dark lord had possessed professor Quirinus Quirrell all that year."

"What!" Said Madam Bones enjoyed playing her part as the upset head of the DMLE as she already knew this but had to keep the information flowing until she got what she wanted. She would deal with the other dark lord later.

"Yes, and Mr Potter stopped Quirrellmort at the end of the year, saving the school but the headmaster let the dark lord escape in his wraith form."

"What? Why hasn't the headmaster reported that to me?" An angry Madam Bones demanded as she was angrier with the old fool who seemed to play with the monster rather than put him down.

It was Severus' turn to carefully watch the reaction of the angry witch and gave her a knowing look with a raised eyebrow that said that it was Albus I-Like-To-Keep-My-Secrets Dumbledore they were talking about.

"Damn fool!" Madam Bones hissed and then tried a different angle. "So, basically, your natural obnoxiousness accidentally abused your master when he was incognito, and you didn't want to face him without something that would encourage him from using the Cruciatus curse until you were dead?"

"Er. Yes." Severus answered and thought, 'Bloody hell she's good.'

"What could you possibly give your insane master that would encourage him not to kill you?"

"Er." Severus was about to ask which one, but thought better. "The headmaster thought the dark lord might spare me if I could show how valuable I could be to continue as a spy and he gave me permission to use the information on Mr Potter and his friends that I had gained from being at Hogwarts."

"They are only children! You're despicable!" Madam Bones said as she realised that the headmaster truly was evil.

"Have you met the headmaster? It was his idea to give away that information and I am sure the other Death Eaters would confirm it through their own sons."

Madam Bones just shook her head that the headmaster could be so callous and she would think very carefully if her Susan would return to the school if Dumbledore was still headmaster. She decided to try a different tack.

"What do you know about professor Moody being cursed?"

"Er." Severus stalled. "What? Mr Constant Vigilance got cursed? Well, jolly good show for them!"

Madam Bones was not smiling and gave him the evil eye again.

"Er. Professor Moody was standing next to the headmaster when Potter, er, Mr Potter cursed him. Maybe he was standing too close and Mr Potter got him as well? The boy did put a lot of power into it and I have never heard a curse hiss and crackle like that." Severus reasoned but as he watched for Madam Bones' micro expressions, he could see there was something big he was missing and he didn't want to admit first that he knew who Moody really was. "He was the headmaster's dear old friend after all and Mr Potter is an arrogant rule-breaker and a show-off just like his father."

"Yes, well, it seems the headmaster didn't know this particular Moody so well as he turned out to be Barty Crouch junior." Madam Bones said as she watched Severus closely as she saved the comment on James Potter for another question.

"Barty junior? Well we do seem to have a problem with some dead not staying dead."

"Quite. But the Goblet of Fire stripped Barty junior of his magic and he changed back. So I assume that it was Barty junior who had placed Mr Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire."

"Oh?"

"Unfortunately Minister Fudge finished that little problem with a Dementor from his bodyguards. Barty junior is really dead dead now." Madam Bones informed Severus as she spat out that idiot's name for summarily executing junior before he could be questioned, and watched for the micro expression that told her that Severus already knew who Moody really was. "The real Moody was found in a trunk in his quarters."

"Oh! Goody!" Severus said slowly not feeling very good about it.

"What do you know about Mr Potter's claim that the fourth Champion was Voldemort's Champion?" Madam Bones asked as she showed him the piece of charmed parchment from Hermione that recorded who had entered their names into the Goblet of Fire.

Severus studied the parchment and smirked. "Fifty points each to the three Slytherins who cunningly entered Mr Potter's name and gave up their chance of Eternal Glory. That was a nice show of school spirit."

Madam Bones was not amused as she stared at him.

"Well, not to speak ill of the dead, but Crazy-Eyes Barty was a true believer and a ruthless psychopath. There was a reason why he was dumped to rot in Azkaban. How the headmaster didn't see through his disguise I don't know. He trusted his old friend implicitly and gave him complete and unsupervised access to all the students. The only thing stopping Crazy-Eyes Barty from slaughtering everyone in their sleep would be a direct order from the dark lord, himself, personally." Severus said as he watched Madam Bones' reaction to the realisation of how close she came to losing her niece. "So, one could image that Crazy-Eyes Barty had placed Mr Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire on the dark lord's orders and yes, I suppose that would technically make the fourth champion, the dark lord's champion. For what purpose I can not tell, but usually it has been to regain his body or kill the boy somehow painfully, or both."

"Usually?"

"Er, yes. This would have been the dark lord's third attempt to regain his body and his sixth attempt to kill the boy."

"Third? Sixth?" _'Bloody hell!'_ Madam Bones thought.

"Yes, the dark lord's wraith tried to get the Philosopher's Stone so he could use it to regain his body at the end of Mr Potter's first year, and at the end of his second year, a younger version of the dark lord's wraith tried to gain a new body by draining the life force from a student."

"Bloody Hell! There could have been two of them?"

"Yes, a young dark lord and an old dark lord plus an ancient gigantic Basilisk." Severus said helpfully.

"Bloody Damn Hell!"

"But fortunately Mr Potter was there to kill the poor Basilisk, stop the ritual, terminate the young dark lord's wraith, and save the foolish girl."

Severus could see that Madam Bones was speechless again so he continued. "The dark lord tried to kill Mr Potter four times in his first year, and once in second."

Severus paused to see her still speechless, so he continued his winning streak and decided to up the stakes. "And Mr Potter's life has always been in danger from numerous er, _accidents,_ plus there were the three serious attempts by the Ministry's Dementors to kiss Mr Potter in his third year. Not to mention there was a werewolf, giant spiders, killer trees, and of course let's not forget Sirius Black."

"What?" Madam Bones yelled regaining her voice as she dropped her monocle. "What did Dumbledore do to protect Mr Potter?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Well nothing useful, but he does watch Mr Potter very carefully and he was very concerned that Mr Potter could possibly be going dark if the boy didn't do everything the headmaster wanted in the way he wanted it done."

"The headmaster was training Mr Potter?"

Severus chuckled. "Good Merlin, no! The headmaster would leave cryptic clues and hints as to what he want Mr Potter to do. A lot of which would gone over his head if not for the Know-It-All."

"It seems the headmaster was testing Mr Potter while controlling him very closely."

"That would seem to be the case. To what end I can not tell."

"Can not or won't?" Madam Bones tried to corner Professor Snape.

"I have my suspicions but, sadly the headmaster is very controlling and his minions have an unfortunate habit of getting themselves killed, like your brother and Mr Potter's parents." Snape danced around the corner.

"I..."

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "The headmaster made them use stunners in an Unforgivable fight. Of course they would die. He made it so easy."

"I..."

"But Mr Potter does seem to have some unknown power that keeps him alive and he has managed to keep his friends alive too, so far."

"I.."

"There is a reason why he is called The-Boy-Who-Lived or after so many attempts by the dark lord, and the Ministry plus all the headmaster's manipulations and scheming, a better name would be; The-Boy-Who-Won't-Die."

"I..."

"The headmaster also worked very hard covering up the incidents at the school so that not even Ms Skeeter got a sniff." Snape continued and then added. "Or he controls her too."

"I..."

"Your problem is that Mr Potter worked it out that it was the dark lord's plan for him to be the fourth champion, and the headmaster and the Ministry both tried very hard to railroad him into being the dark lord's champion." Severus paused. "The only person he trust is his muggleborn girlfriend. Not the professors, not the Ministry, and certainly not the headmaster. And thanks to the headmaster's insistence on where the boy lived, he is quite at home in the muggle world."

"I.."

"When the dark lord returns, who are you going to call?"

Madam Bones knew he was right and she had an awful lot of things to think about. Her respect for Mr Potter rose as she thought he had the patience of a saint and she didn't know who was worst, Dumbledore, the Ministry or Voldemort. But things had changed that night.

"Well hopefully we won't need to call Mr. Potter." Madam Bones hit back.

"I.." It was Severus's turn to be on the wrong foot as Madam Bones smirked for the first time in years. Two can play this game.

"There was an attack on Azkaban tonight by Death Eaters who were all kissed, except for one."

"Oh. What a pity."

"Yes, and from the survivor we learnt that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may have been a little angry with them and a little bit overzealous with his encouragement of the Cruciatus Curse. The Death Eaters could barely stand let alone attack Azkaban."

"Oh, well he does love that curse almost as much as his favourite Unforgivable. And those Death Eaters had grown slack since the dark lord's departure."

"Well, actually some have been very busy and had manipulated themselves into all the key positions in the Ministry and the Wizengamot."

"Oh?"

"Yes and they basically controlled the Ministry including the funding for my department. So if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, he would have complete control of the Ministry through his minions, if they weren't now dead."

"Oh? But not quite complete control." Severus saw the flaw. "There is still Barty Crouch senior and I don't believed the dark lord would underestimate you a second time."

"Oh?" Madam Bones knew she would have a big target on her back and that it would only a matter of time before they came after her. She realised she had dodged a big fat killing curse tonight with the failed attack on Azkaban.

"With the unfortunate debacle of the Death Eaters, I would say you have been given a second chance. Lucky for you." Severus said pointedly.

Madam Bones nodded and then smirked. "But the Death Eaters were not the only ones kissed tonight."

"Oh?"

"Minister Fudge and Undersecretary Umbridge were also unfortunately accidentally kissed."

"The toady and the Toad are gone?"

"Sadly. Yes." Madam Bones said in a controlled happy way. "The irony that it was a photo op for his victory shot for tomorrow's headline that went terribly wrong."

"Well they always say don't work with children or Dementors."

"No."

"So the headmaster tries to set the boy up, he strikes back and sets in motion a chain of events that neutralises the headmaster, wipes out any support for the dark lord, and destroys the Minister and his toad?" Severus summarised.

"Pretty much."

"Bloody Hell! Lily would be so proud." Severus said.

"Indeed." Madam Bones agreed. "So, just how powerful is Mr Potter?"

"Why don't you ask the Dementors?" He shot back.

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't. Er. There is over one hundred Dementors missing..."

"Missing?" Severus said surprised that the Ministry was able to keep that a secret.

"Missing er.. gone."

"Gone?"

"Presumed terminated."

"Oh? Terminated?"

"And the rest are too terrified to talk."

"Oh, they're frightened of the boy's name?"

"Er. Yes."

"The headmaster and dark lord would be so jealous." Severus smirked.

Madam Bones smiled at the dark humour. "Indubitably." She agreed.

"So, how is our illustrious headmaster?" Severus wondered.

"Well he did hit the wall very hard and broke every bone in his body. He is almost one hundred and ten years old. Then in the confusion it appears someone popped in wearing a black pair of those muggle Doc Marten ankle length shoes that college students wear and kicked the headmaster repeatedly in his nether regions." Madam Bones said with half a hidden smile and wished she had a pair of those useful shoes.

"Oh?" Severus couldn't keep the smile out of his voice and wondered who had been so upset with the headmaster.

"Yes, and made a complete mess. I fear that the headmaster may not be able to walk again or sit down or sire children."

"What a pity. Doc Martens?"

"Yes, they left very distinctive footprints in the blood. Unfortunately the muggle shoes have eliminated most of the usual suspects who would hate the headmaster enough to do that."

"Oh?" Severus said as he thought about one particular suspect he had met on his travels, who had a healthy dislike for Dumbledore and a love for Doc Marten shoes that her mother bought for her when she went to college and she still wears during winter. He thought he better be good from now on or suffer a worse fate than the headmaster.

"And so, with the headmaster unable to perform his er, duties, as Chief Warlock."

"Oh?"

"And as I am the most senior Ministry official left standing."

"Oh?"

"I am now the interim head of Ministry with a very good chance of becoming the next Minister of Magic."

"Oh?"

"And I believe the best way to kick-start my new administration would be to thank those who have made it possible. I believe Mr Potter and Miss Granger should be awarded the Order of Merlin first class."

"Oh?" Severus said in a sad way.

"And who knows, if the headmaster had been more forthcoming with information on your spying, you could have gotten something."

Severus shook his head. "It is Lily who deserves the recognition. She saved us all."

"I concur, but I feel it would not be enough."

"It would be a start. We need someone other than the headmaster to look up to."

Madam Bones smiled and then the experienced prosecutor schooled her features and pressed on with another line of questions. Dumbledore could wait for another day if he ever woke up.

"So, what did the headmaster tell you about the end of Mr Potter's first year and the death of professor Quirrell?" Madam Bones asked trying another angle and fill in some gaps.

"The headmaster told the staff that it was an internal school matter involving a former student and that he would be dealing with it." Snape replied but Madam Bones just continued to stare.

"What did he tell you, specifically?"

"Ah, well, there was something about the possessed Quirrell that made him very susceptible to the touch of the boy."

"Susceptible?"

"Er, the headmaster said that Quirrell had died a very painful death. It seems while being possessed by the dark lord's wraith, Mr Potter's touch was able to burn Quirrell's body to ash." Severus said carefully. "And that the dark lord is a wraith until he can possess another victim."

"Oh."

"I don't know why the headmaster let him escape. I had assumed that the purpose for the Philosopher's stone and Mr Potter being in the castle was to bait a trap for the dark lord."

"The Philosopher's Stone? Bait?"

"Indeed." Severus enjoyed pressing all of Madam Bones' buttons. He would save the full Basilisk and Horcruxes story for next time but he needed to throw her off the trail of his own dark mark. So he tried a different angle himself as he pushed back the sleeve on his left arm. "But as you can see my dark mark has faded to almost nothing, so whatever Mr Potter did with the Goblet of Fire to get it to strip Barty Crouch junior of his magic has caused the dark lord to flee again."

"So you don't know where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is currently hiding?"

"The dark lord calls you, you don't call him. The last summons was to his safe house in Little Hangleton."

"Yes, we got the address from the surviving Death Eater and only found the remains of Lucius Malfoy and a big snake."

"Oh, poor Slippery, and Nagini is dead?"

"Yes. Nagini was killed by a star picket through the head." Madam Bones said as she closely watched Severus.

"Oh?" Severus said as he was sure that he had banished the star picket away and wondered how the bloody hell she had discovered how the snake died.

"Yes, and Voldemort the rat may have run away. Given the time they probably have gone to sleep now." Madam Bones said with a smirk and a leap of logic as Severus went as white as a ghost and that told her volumes.

'Bloody damn hell!' Severus thought as his mind froze for a moment before it kick-started again as he continues to reason in his thoughts. 'I will never underestimate this witch. She was far scarier than Dumbledore, the dark lord, Crazy-Eyes and Bella all combined. Was she related to Lily? Of course, she is a Pure-Blood and related to James Potter and therefore related to Lily by marriage. Damn Bloody Hell on those fools!'

Severus said with all the calmness he could control. "The dark lord has lost far more than he had hoped to gain tonight."

"Fortunately, thanks to Mr Potter."

Severus snorted. "Let's hope that Mr Potter is always around." After this night he wouldn't be underestimating the boy again either.

Madam Bones smiled in agreement. "Don't worry I am sure he will be and I wouldn't want to be the one who disrespected his father."

"Er, no." Severus understood that he didn't have the protection of the headmaster anymore.

Madam Bones gave a forceful stare and then added as she started to plan her next step. "I better have that dark mark checked out by Croaker to see if it can be used to track down that monster."

"Of course, Madam Bones, I am only too happy to help." Snape said, surprised how easily she was letting him off and he thought that she had accepted that it was all Potter's fault. Blaming Potter would have worked better than the headmaster's claim that it was for the Greater Good, but now he had a lot of thinking to do. He was sure that none of the Unspeakables would ever find those two specimen jars that he had hidden deep under the basement of the dungeons of Hogwarts. Not with all the wards the headmaster had set up around the castle. Not unless she tells them where to look.

Severus stood up to leave when he decided a friendly parting shot. "Madam Bones, please, never turn evil!"

Madam Bones chuckled. "I am a Hufflepuff; we're hard-working, caring, cunning, courageous, brilliant and beautiful. We already rule so we don't need to be evil. What the other three houses seem to forget is that they only excel in one attribute while Hufflepuff excels in all three attributes and more."

Severus smiled. "Touché."

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


	10. Why She is the Boss

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 10. Why She is the Boss.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

03/01/18 Beta by alix33 thank you.

Sorry for the delay but Fanfiction was having an issue uploading.

The potions professor left the room off the Great Hall to tend to his potions while out of the shadows of the hallway Gawain Robards appeared and delivered his special package to Madam Bones as she was going over her notes. She removed the two Order of Merlin medallions that were now stripped from Dumbledore and Pettigrew, and placed them on the desk and covered them with her file on Tom Riddle. The rest of the awards given to the old fool will have to be officially returned to their grantors.

Madam Bones took out the report Robards had given her on the attack on Azkaban. "You checked the magical signature of the Cruciatus curse that was cast on the Death Eaters?"

"Well actually we did test for the magical signature for the Cruciatus curse when we checked for controlling curses, of which we found none. So the Death Eaters were there of their own free will and Voldemort's orders. But the Cruciatus curse had been held for so long that it messed with the wizard's own magical core, and both magical signatures were combined and corrupted. The results were inconclusive. The Unspeakables might be able to sort something out."

"Oh? Okay, I will have the Unspeakables test Yaxley. I don't know how it will go because Malfoy convinced Fudge to destroy all records of the dark lord's magical signature and Dumbledore agreed saying we should put the past behind us. So we have nothing to compare it to." Madam Bones said sadly as she made a note. She hated missing or incomplete paperwork and records.

Robards stood there for a moment. "Er, Madam Bones, there was one thing in the questioning of Yaxley that didn't make sense. After Voldemort had used the Cruciatus curse on the Death Eaters and sent them to attacked Azkaban, he finished his order with the code; T.T.F.N. Yaxley had no idea what that meant."

"Oh? I am not sure, T.T.F.N?" Madam Bones asked as Robards nodded. "I will have to ask next time I see the dark lord."

A chill went down his spine, his boss was such a bad as.. er witch. Robards turned to leave as Madam Bones asked. "Have you heard the good news?"

Robards shook his head wondering.

"I have sent Barty to Azkaban to sort out the mess Fudge has made. You might like to take the squad back to Azkaban to help er, celebrate." Madam Bones said. "And then take a few days off. You have earnt it."

"Will do. Thank you, Boss." Robards said with a big smile as he looked forward to a very big party.

Madam Bones opened her hand bag which had an undetectable extension charm on it and was where she kept all her most secret and sensitive files and information. (So don't tell anyone.) She took out the file on her own pet Death Eater who had been planted in her department by Minister Fudge on Lucius Malfoy's orders er suggestion. She had kept a close eye on Auror Yaxley, and from observing him she had worked out who the other Death Eaters were and their supporters. Sadly thanks to Malfoy's gold, a greedy Fudge, an obnoxious bigot Toad and a manipulating interfering old fool, she couldn't act to throw them all into Azkaban. So all she could do was monitor Yaxley and the rest of the Death Eaters and the current status of their missing master. She was well aware something was happening as all the Death Eaters she knew of had been very troubled since the Quidditch World Cup where an unknown Death Eater had cast the dark mark. The only reason why Yaxley survived the attack on Azkaban and not being kissed by the Dementors was because he was wearing his Ministry supplied Auror talisman and he was captured before he could murder the Warden.

So Madam Bones had a lot of background information and she had been playing this game for many years. She now considered the mood of the people involved and was surprised that no one was actually angry or enraged or even disappointed in Mr Potter for standing up to the headmaster, even the Potions professor's rage against the boy was half-hearted when he would have been expected to be furious at the attack on the headmaster who protected him. In fact they were relieved that Mr Potter had stopped the headmaster from obliviating them all and all their anger was aimed at the headmaster for attempting to do something so arrogantly heinous. She didn't know what headmaster Karkaroff felt as the former Death Eater had abandoned his students and fled. But Madame Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, wanted to tear Dumbledore apart and had sworn in very rapid French for half an hour before Hagrid was able to calm her down. She was unbelievably furious at the old fool. While Barty Crouch senior was absolutely livid and speechless with anger. So after the adults had calmed down, Madam Bones could see that the professors moods ranged from disappointment, from Hagrid that the great man Dumbledore had tried to force young Harry into a death trap, to relief that the headmaster had been stopped, to shame by Minerva that she had blindly followed her manipulative friend and allowed him to do such terrible things to Mr Potter.

Then there was Severus Snape. The headmaster was his only friend and had stood by him when everyone else wanted him rotting in Azkaban. The loss of the headmaster's protection could cost the former Death Eater everything, but for some inexplicable reason the sour man was actually happy. Her impression of the sad bitter man was that something very big had changed tonight. Her hunch paid off big time, as she used the information to see if he was aware how Nagini had died and then he went as white as a ghost when she mentioned Voldemort being asleep. Considering he said that he had not left the castle and shouldn't know anything about that. His joke at the expense of his two masters had shown a level of freedom and dare she say, disrespect. It showed that he had done something to lift a great burden he was carrying and his insistence to have Lily honoured was very important to him.

She had seen through the Potions master's first lie as he didn't smell musky like he had been working in his potions lab in the dungeon for hours, nor did he list the delicate potions he was working on. Plus the Auror she had sent to find him had told her he wasn't there.

Then Severus had exposed his ongoing petty feud with Sirius Black and tried to distract her by putting the blame on him. Her research into Sirius Black after his escape plus the way Lucius Malfoy had encouraged Fudge to do everything to ensure Sirius ended up dead, had convinced her that Sirius was actually innocent and her own pet Death Eater had laughed himself silly at the ridiculous idea that Black could have been one of them or the _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's right hand man_ that Fudge wants everyone to believe. Nor would Sirius have used the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse on anyone. Even after everything he has suffered, Sirius just didn't have that sort of hate in him to curse one Death Eater let alone all of them and then to curse Malfoy to death. No matter how much Malfoy deserved it.

And thanks to Mr Potter's scar, she knew it wasn't He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named who cheerfully cursed those monsters tonight.

Then the faint red dot on Severus's dark mark told her that it was his dark mark that had been used to summon the other Death Eaters. So he had been with his master or had used his master's wand. Plus Dumbledore had hinted that Severus had turned spy after Lily was threatened and even now Severus still wanted her remembered and to receive the recognition for her sacrifice. While Dumbledore had done his utmost to have Lily Potter ignored and forgotten, and have everyone's attention focused on him as The-Officially-Appointed-Magical-Guardian-of-The Boy-Who-Lived, and pushed for Peter Pettigrew to be awarded somehow posthumously the Order of Merlin which seemed to have sealed Sirius Black's fate.

But Severus Snape was a bitter man and had tons of hatred in him, how could he not when he was trapped under the manipulative thumb of the headmaster, and he was furious that the headmaster had let Wraithmort escape. Plus he had avoided the important question of where his master was.

And it was way too convenient for the disastrous attack on Azkaban to happen so soon after the headmaster was neutralised and Severus going missing. Besides if Voldemort was really back, he would have led that attack himself so he could welcome back his faithful, personally, and celebrate his return by slaughtering everyone else. She thought for a moment, the Death Eaters in Azkaban were there at Dumbledore's insistence of giving them a second chance. A second chance to do what? She was well aware what they would do if their master ever set them free. She added a note on her To Do list to terminate all confirmed Death Eaters staying in Azkaban.

Putting it all together, Madam Bones worked out that as Mr Potter had not touched the Goblet of Fire, it was Barty junior's failure to accept that he was the _Mr_ _Harry_ _Potter_ from St Brutus's, that had caused the Goblet of Fire to strip away his magic. So it was not the Goblet of Fire that weakened He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and forced him to run away. But what Mr Potter had done to the headmaster had triggered the next events that fulfilled her very Hufflepuff dream of removing the corruption from the Ministry and Wizengamot plus the disposing of two dark lords and an idiot Minister with his toad. She thought it would take years of hard work, but thanks to Mr Potter, it happened in one night.

So that meant that either there was a new dark lord in town with Severus as his lieutenant and they are clearing away all the riffraff. Or, somehow Severus had worked out the plot against Mr Potter, then went and captured his weakened master and trapped him in some sort of sleeping state. Probably some sort of potion like The Draught of Living Death. (She chuckled to herself, why else would the magical world have created such a dangerous useless potion if not for trapping a monster and keeping him alive enough so his wraith couldn't escape.) Then Severus used his master's wand on his own dark mark to summon his fellow Death Eaters and while he had pretended to be their returned master, then cursed them all to the very point of insanity and then sent them to be massacred by the Dementors. Removing the threat of the Death Eaters who have been pushing the Pure-Blood Agenda, and at the same time destroying the credibility of Voldemort by making him appear to be completely insane.

And he did all that for Lily.

She preferred option B. Better the devil you know and he did have the opportunity and plenty of motive.

Madam Bones marvelled at the potions professor. He was one of the bravest Gryffindors, and the most cold-blooded and ruthless Slytherin she had ever met. So she wouldn't be naming any child after him.

And if Severus wanted to keep that little secret, he had certainly earned the right to do so as she placed her file on Severus Snape to the bottom of the stack.

Madam Bones would just keep an eye on him in the future and wait for him to slip up so she could let him know that she knows. If he doesn't work it out.

And thank him.

Then have him throw what is left of Tom Marvolo Riddle through the Veil along with both his silly made-up names, Voldemort and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

And Dumbledore could follow him too. Merlin knows he deserves it. But she needs to destroy the myth and not make him a martyr.

Now if she could just become the next Minister, she would finish the job and remove every bit of any remaining support for Voldemort or the Pure-Blood Agenda that was destroying their future. From the Ministry, the Wizengamot and anywhere else, and close this sad chapter of the History of Magic.

There was a knock at the door that brought Madam Bones out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opened and a brand new looking Severus Snape entered with a half smile, his spotless black robe billowing and his hair clean, full and wavy. He closed the door and walked to stand in front of the desk as Madam Bones just watched him carefully as she adjusted her wand under the desk.

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "It's still Halloween so trick or treat?"

Madam Bones gave a very unladylike snort, as if he could trick her, so with a smile she said. "Treat."

With a smirk, Severus gave a wave of his hand and a little showmanship, slowly he took one shrunken specimen jar from his inside pocket of his robes, and holding it with two fingers with his other hand underneath, as he carefully placed it on the desk before the acting Minister of Magic.

Madam Bones gave the specimen jar a quick glance with her enchanted monocle and saw the shrinkage and unbreakable charms on the jar, and as she focused on what was inside her enchanted monocle magnified the image until she could clearly see the bald head of the ugliest baby she had ever seen and that slit nose was unmistakable. This was the most feared dark lord floating in a pool of the Draught of Living Death. She looked back at Severus as she slowly raised one eyebrow.

"Damn you're good!" Severus smirked as he took out the second shrunken specimen jar and placed it next to the first.

Madam Bones smirked as she saw the rat floating in the second jar. She waved her wand over the file on the corner of her desk and then lifted it up to reveal two Orders of Merlin. She saw the surprised look on Severus's face as she slid them across the desk towards the Secret Dark Lord / Spy / Potions Master and she hoped a future Extraordinary Gentleman.

"My treat. These were taken from Dumbledore and Pettigrew for conduct unbecoming a holder of the Order of Merlin. Normally they would have been destroyed but I feel that you are more deserving. And being a spy you would understand, of course, that this never happened, you can't tell anyone and the Ministry of Magic will disavow any knowledge of your actions. So, you will just have to keep them in your secret dark lair."

"But of course." Severus agreed thankful she didn't call it a Bat Cave, as he slowly picked up the awards and turned one over to see the former name crossed out and his name there with the citation;

Order of Merlin

First Class

Axxxs Pxxxxxxx Severus Snape Dxxxxxxxxe.

For Skullduggery.

Severus snorted as Salazar would have been so proud, and ' _For Bravery_ ' would be out of place for a Slytherin. It felt odd in a nice way to receive these awards as Dumbledore highly valued his Order of Merlin and used it to influence and manipulate others but he was totally unworthy of it and everything it stood for, as was Pettigrew the rat. It is not bravery to betray your friends to die and it is even worse if you set up others to be murdered.

He turned the second one over and the citation caught his breath.

Order of Merlin

First Class

Pxxx Severus Snape xxw.

For Given and Redeemed.

Severus looked at Madam Bones; he couldn't speak and just nodded a thank you.

"You're welcome."

He quietly said. "Anything to get off your list."

But Madam Bones heard him. "Lily would have wanted you forgiven."

Severus felt that but something in the back of his mind wanted to say; 'But James Potter would have wanted him hung, drawn and quartered for the murder of Lily.' But he felt that would destroy the moment, even though he knew that he deserved a whole lot more punishment.

Madam Bones saw the concern and confusion in his eyes. "Many others might have wanted you dead, but they are not Hufflepuffs. So make sure you stay off my list. I know what you did and I will give you one chance to be truly free for the first time since you entered Hogwarts as a student. This is the Hufflepuff way. Not just crime and a slap on the wrist with unmerited second chances, but the full service; crime, punishment, redemption and restoration to a loving productive life."

Severus paused to consider the Hufflepuff philosophy that had given him a real second chance. He found his voice and quietly said. "It has been such a long time since someone has done something for me. So, thank you."

"Thank you too, Severus. You and Mr Potter have given us a real change for the better future that Lily died for." Madam Bones said as she opened a black leather covered book and turned to a page that had names on it and crossed out the name Severus Snape. It was just after Albus Dumbledore and before Fudge, Umbridge and the names of the Death Eaters who had died that night. At the top of the list just before Dumbledore was Tom Marvolo Riddle. She added some notes to update her list for Riddle and the rat.

Severus watched as Madam Bones with a little showmanship crossed his name off her list and added the note; ' _F & R'_. He was amused until he saw that the other names that had been crossed off her list, mainly had the note, _'Dead!_ _D K*_ _'_ , with a few had _'Azkaban!_ _4 L_ _'_ written after it. Lucius Malfoy's crossed off name had the note, _'_ _Dead!_ _C_ _C_ _to_ _D**_ _'_ with stars and smiley faces. _(But the smiley faces were hand drawn and looked great as I typed it but Fanfiction doesn't like smiley faces)_

Severus saw that the only crossed out name that had the note; _F & R_. was his. Next to Dumbledore's uncrossed off name was the note; 'To _B H D & Q**_ _'_. That sent a chill down his spine and he knew he really had only one second chance and he would not waste it.

Amelia's To Do List

Tom Marvolo Riddle. Defunct ***

Albus Percival Dumbledore. T & Q**

Sxxxxxx Sxxxx F & R***

Cxxxxxxxx Fxxxx Dead! D K*

Dxxxxxx Uxxxxxxx Dead! D K*

Lxxxxx Mxxxxx 'Dead! CC to D**

Axxxxx Cxxxxx Dead! D K*

Axxxxx Cxxxxx Dead! D K*

Wxxxxx Mxxxxx Dead! D K*

Peter Pettigrew Defunct **

Cxxxxx Yxxxxx Azkaban! 4 L*

Severus couldn't resist it but to be outSlytherined by a Hufflepuff was a new experience for him and so he said with a smirk."You know that you are one of the very few witches I know, whose bite is far worse than their bark."

"And you are one of the few wizards Gryffindor enough to say that and Slytherin enough to live. So don't you forget it?" Madam Bones chuckled and ignored the implications of him calling her the terrible B word in a very nice way.

"The other was Lily." Severus whispered as he turned away.

Madam Bones smiled and then asked. "So, you are not grateful for your friend Dumbledore?"

Severus snorted as he turned back. "I would have rather made a bargain with the devil."

"But he kept you out of Azkaban?"

"There are worse places than Azkaban and the headmaster used everyone. His constant manipulations and interference only ensured he got what he wanted and completely frustrated everyone else making Hell look like a holiday camp. There was a reason why the dark lord really hated Dumbledore."

"Worse places?"

"Yes, the muggles have turned torment and depression into an industry. You can use their telephones and dial a Dementor."

"Dial a Dementor?"

"Yes, they call it customer service, all the major companies use them to frustrate their customers, and a group of Dementors is called a call center."

"Call center?"

"Yes, and for twenty-four hour service they put the call centers on the other side of the Earth."

"The other side of the Earth? Muggles can do that?"

"Yes, you dial a local number here and you are transferred to a call center twelve thousand miles away. But there is a worst Dementor."

"Worst?"

"Yes, there is a worst Dementor, they are called, Telemarketers!"

"Telemarketers?"

"Yes, they are evil, they call you, any time, night or day but particularly during meal times or when you are at a critical point brewing a delicate potion."

"Oh?" Madam Bones imagined a Demented Telemarketer calling Severus while he was in the middle of brewing a delicate potion, and how the phone call would go. She wondered if she should investigate and see if she needed to add Telemarketers to her list. Then she asked a question to find out what Severus knew about Mr Potter's home life. "I have heard what the headmaster did to Mr Potter's childhood and I am afraid to find out how bad it really was at the Dursleys."

"Dursleys? Damn bloody hell!" Severus cursed. "He would never tell me where he kept the boy."

"Oh? That bad?"

"It would be another one of the places worse than Azkaban, Petunia really hated magic after what the rat did. Then for Lily to have been murdered." Severus left the rest unsaid.

"Oh, that seems to match what Mr Potter felt. I might leave the muggles sort out that mess."

"Yes, they hate child abusers."

"Quite!" Madam Bones chuckled and then asked another question that had her perplexed. "What is T.T.F.N?"

Severus took a small book out of his pocket and enlarged it as he placed it on the desk. It was an old, dog-eared, well read children's book that had the name, Lily Evans written on its cover with the title;

 _Walt Disney presents_

 _'Winnie The Pooh & The Blustery Day'._

 _(Google it!)_

"You may return that to Mr Potter. With our history, he would never accept it from me."

"Oh? Wouldn't you like it back?"

"No need. Everyone will remember Lily now. She is the heroine of this sad tale. You will make sure of that!" Severus said. "She was going to give that to Harry when he was older." And left the rest unsaid while he departed the room as a tear formed in his eye.

She watched the man go. She had told and shown him that he was free but she wondered if he would ever feel truly free.

Then Madam Bones waved her wand over the book to check for anything nasty as was her habit, but it was clean. She opened the book and was surprised to hear the cheerful vibrant voice of a teenage Lily start to read the words on the page and encouraged her to read along with her and to turn the page when she heard the chimes. So she turned the page and the music started as Lily's beautiful sweet voice sang and read to her, the story of Winnie the Pooh, his friends and their adventure on The Blustery Day, with Lily cleverly doing a different voice for each character based on her friends. She smiled as she heard Lily mimic the voice of James Potter trying to mimic the voice of a teddy bear of very little brain for Pooh, Lily mimic the timid voice of Remus Lupin for Piglet, then she mimic the proud deep voice of Frank Longbottom trying to mimic the voice of a pompous grandfather figure Dumbledore rolling his Rs for Owl. She chuckled as Lily mimics the sad depressed voice of Severus Snape for Eeyore. She laughed herself silly when the story got to Tigger who sounded just like a carefree cheerful Sirius Black as he bounced around the room and discovered just what T.T.F.N. meant. She took a deep breath when she heard the voice for Christopher Robin that sounded like what she would have imagine a young Harry would sound like.

Madam Bones had not laughed like that for such a long time and then she remembered the many they had lost and that brought tears to her eyes. All those who had put their trust in the manipulative headmaster only for them to die terrible painful deaths like her brother and his family save for Susan. It was not Dumbledore, but Lily who had saved them and given them the victory they received through the love of a young mother for her son.

Madam Bones would be sure to return the book to Mr Potter and ask if she could make a copy.

For Susan of course.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._

 _AN: As nouns the difference between skulduggery and skullduggery besides the UK and alternate US spelling, is that skullduggery is activities intended to deceive; a con or hoax while skulduggery is a devious device or trick. So skullduggery would be the plural of skulduggery._

& Q: To B hung drawn & quartered

F & R: Forgiven and redeemed

Dead! D K: Dead Dementor's Kissed

Dead! CC to D: Dead Cruciatus Cursed to death

Azkaban! 4 L: Azkaban 4 Life.


	11. What happened next

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 11. What happened next and Severus sees the light.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

26/02/18 Beta by alix33, thank you and Hermione only had to hit the moRon once and besides Harry was holding her other hand.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

As it was so late Madam Bones took up the offer of using one of the guest accommodations at Hogwarts as she wanted to see Susan in the morning and return the story book to Mr Potter.

After one of the best sleeps she has ever had, Madam Bones arose fresh and full of energy. She cleaned the finger and tears marks off the old story book, and walked into the Great Hall to find Susan and warmly greeted her at the Hufflepuff table. Professor McGonagall came into the Great Hall and saw Madam Bones and walked over to greet her friend. But she froze when she recognised the old, dog eared, well read children's book that had the name, Lily Evans written on its cover that her friend was holding in her hand.

"Wh..Where did you find that?" Minerva anxiously asked her friend.

"What this?" Madam Bones indicated the old story book and quickly realised that there was a bigger story here attached to the book as she glanced to the head table to see Severus Snape trying to hide the biggest smirk ever. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the gleam of mischief in his dark eyes as he had told her that Mr Potter wouldn't accept the book if he knew where it came from, so she couldn't tell Minerva where she found the book. Not that the lubricious potions professor would get away with it, he wasn't that slippery.

Professor Flitwick came over and to see what the fuss was about with professor Sprout.

"Sweet Merlin, it wasn't destroyed!" Filius exclaimed as Madam Bones put up a privacy ward. "Where did you find that?"

Madam Bones smirked as she was the one who asked the questions and she sensed a new mystery. "Why don't you and Minerva sit down and tell me a story."

As it had been a very late and exciting Halloween night, most of the students were sleeping in and the hall was almost empty but Madam Bones signalled to Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna as they entered the hall and they joined her at the Hufflepuff table as Professor Flitwick started his tale.

"Well the story of that book starts in Lily Potter's fifth year when the headmaster announced that the Wizengamot had introduced new laws about the Muggle-born students using magic at home. Before then it wasn't that much of an issue as the Pure-Bloods regarded that the Muggle-borns students would be too weak to do real magic outside of Hogwarts. So the Ministry ignored it if they practiced magic in their homes as long as they didn't break the Statue of Secrecy. The new ruling prevented Muggle-borns from doing any magic outside Hogwarts until they were of age. As you could image that this tyrannical move caused a lot of resentment and Lily tried to circumvent the issue by enchanting her old story book to read the story to her. Apparently muggle storybooks can do that, and she hoped it could be made a Charms class project so the underage Muggle-born students could have something to show magic to their parents."

Harry and Hermione were happy to listen as they ate breakfast at the Hufflepuff table and wondered what sort of fuss his mother could cause with an old story book.

"Lily showed me what she had done and I thought it was a brilliant idea and all Lily's girl friends joined in and enchanted their own favourite story book. The wizards not so much. But when I introduced the enchanting project to the younger years, the headmaster stepped in and tried to discourage it as he was afraid that it would break the new laws. But the students loved the idea and started to enchant their own story books by themselves with Lily and her friends holding study groups in the library to help."

Professor McGonagall continued. "Then somehow Lucius Malfoy discovered the enchanted story books and, of course, he not only threatened but did actually tell his father. The very next day Lucius' father, Abraxas Malfoy, stormed into the school with his band of Pure-Blood bigots and demanded all the Muggle-born be expelled and their enchanted books be burnt. The headmaster managed to have the demands changed and downgraded to confiscation of all the enchanted books as long as that particular book was publicly burnt in the Great Hall." As she pointed to Lily's book.

Professor Flitwick continued. "As I was the charms professor, the headmaster insisted that I confiscate all the enchanted books from the Muggle-born students while leaving enchanted books the half-blood and Pure-Blood students alone, except for the books of Lily's friends. That destroyed my position with the Muggle-borns as they now hated me and really divided the school down bloodlines."

Professor McGonagall continued as she pointed to Lily's book. "But that book was never found. We searched the whole castle except for the Slytherin dorms of course. Even the house-elves couldn't find it. But a lot of other things were found and confiscated which increased the mistrust between the Muggle-borns and Pure-Bloods." She turned to Harry. "Your father had an old family heirloom confiscated by the headmaster and he even refused to give it back to your Grandfather while James was at Hogwarts. How your father ever trusted the headmaster again I will never know." She shook her head and then had a candle-lit moment as she remembered what the old fool had tried to do the previous night. "The Damn fool!"

"Oh?" Harry said as this changed what the headmaster had led him to believe in first year.

Madam Bones was watching Mr Potter's micro expressions and could see he knew of the family heirloom but didn't want to share that information. So she took the conversation in another direction.

"You mean to tell me that this was the book that caused all that kerfuffle?"

"Er, yes?" Minerva said wondering if there was another side to the story.

"What has the headmaster told you about the revision to Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery?"

"Not much, the decree was made in 1875 but everyone ignored it as it was unenforceable. The headmaster was very disappointed with the changes that had made that unfair law that was obviously aimed at Muggle-borns and stop them practising magic at home, plus it was completely ignored by Pure-Blood families." Minerva remembered.

Madam Bones smirked. "So he didn't tell you that it was him who proposed the amendments to it in the first place?"

Minerva shook her head to say no.

"Well, of course, the final amendments to the decree bears little resemblance to what he first wrote, but, as he was afraid that with all the modern muggle means of recording events and things like movie and video cameras that they would eventually capture on film or tape Muggle-born children performing magic for all the world to see. So he proposed to restrict the Muggle-borns to only performing magic in their homes and not outside in their yards where the neighbours could see them."

"So the headmaster wanted to legislate instead of educate?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, and once the headmaster had opened that can of worms the Pure-Bloods Agenda wanted to ban all Muggle-borns including adults from performing magic, have their magic bound and have them and their families obliviated of all knowledge of magic. Dumbledore used his numbers to stop that but the price was to expand the IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE. Before that the office was a dead end place with only one junior clerk who couldn't do much as he was only there to fulfill the Ministry's commitment to the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy." Madam Bones explained.

"Wasn't Arthur Weasley working there?"

"Yes, he got a promotion to head of a new office, The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office that was a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Arthur's old office was revamped taking a third of the budget from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, with a junior minister with a staff of ten dedicated Pure-Blood bigots to monitor and control a new set of magical sensors set up in muggle areas. The first junior minister was Cornelius Fudge and his secretary was Dolores Umbridge. Later Fudge went onto to head the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and Umbridge took his old position. After the fall of Voldemort, she placed twenty magical sensors around a little muggle suburb of Little Whinging."

"Oh?" Harry wondered why the Ministry sent those owls so quickly.

"But wasn't the DMLE fighting a war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Minerva stated.

"Fighting, yes, but sadly we were losing the war, and then the headmaster pulls this stunt." Madam Bones said bitterly. "I had just taken control of the Bones seat in the Wizengamot after my brother was injured in a Death Eater raid while fighting for the headmaster's bird club. Then when Abraxas Malfoy tried to have a rebellious Muggle-born student expelled from Hogwarts and thrown directly into Azkaban. The Chief Warlock Dumbledore inflamed the situation by using his sad eyes and said that the Wizengamot didn't have the authority to do that as the Hogwarts charter made it independent of the Wizengamot, but he would deal with it as an internal matter."

"Oh?" Harry said as Hermione was quite impressed with his mother's actions as Madam Bones gave him the book.

Harry looked at the old, dog eared, well read children's book that had the name, Lily Evans written on its cover as if it was the most amazing book in the whole world. It was his mother's book and she had caused so much mischief with it and he was so proud of her while he was utterly disgusted with the evident manipulations of the headmaster.

Everyone fell silent as he slowly opened the cover of the book and heard a cheerful vibrant voice of a teenage Lily start to read the words on the page and encouraged him to read along with her and to turn the page when he heard the chimes. Harry couldn't move as tears formed in his eyes as Hermione and Luna hugged him from both sides, leaving only Neville with his hands free.

Neville looked at Harry and he nodded so Neville turned the page and the music started as Lily's beautiful sweet voice sang and read to them, the story of Winnie the Pooh, his friends and their adventure on The Blustery Day, with Lily cleverly doing a different voice for each character based on her friends.

Professor McGonagall explained as Harry turned to her. "Your mother, Lily, was extremely talented and she could mimic the voice of nearly anyone. She was the secret to the Marauders' success as she would hide in the boys' dorm as a cover and carry on a conversation as James and his friends while they were elsewhere setting up a prank." She pointed at the book. "That's Lily mimicking your father, James, trying to mimic the voice of a teddy bear of very little brain for Pooh."

Harry smiled as he had only remembered a little of his father's voice but Pooh sounded funny.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other as they smiled when they recognised that his mother had mimicked the timid voice of Remus Lupin for Piglet.

It was Neville's turn to be surprised as Professor Flitwick explained. "That's Lily doing your father's proud deep voice. She got Frank Longbottom into so much trouble when she used his voice to clear out a crowded girls' bathroom and they all ran out in a blind panic, screaming that a wizard was in there." He chuckled at the memory. "Lily outdid herself to mimic your father trying to mimic the voice of a pompous grandfather figure Dumbledore rolling his Rs for Owl."

That image of pompous grandfather figure Dumbledore may have amused the adults, but to Neville, Luna, Harry and Hermione hearing Neville's father young voice doing the headmaster made Dumbledore sound like a pompous old fool.

They all laughed when they recognised that Lily had mimicked the sad depressed voice of professor Snape for Eeyore. Even the real Severus smiled but as they turned to look at him he put on his trademark sneer so they immediately turned back and didn't notice that his eyes were still smiling. That was his favourite part in the book to hear Lily mimic him as well as hearing Potter and Black made a fool of themselves as Pooh and Tigger.

Harry and Hermione laughed when the story got to Tigger who sounded just like a carefree cheerful Sirius Black as he bounced around the room, while the adults had mixed feelings as they were still under the impression that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily.

Concerned, Professor McGonagall asked. "You recognise that voice?"

"Yeah, that's my godfather, Sirius Black." Harry noticed their concern. "Sirius is innocent. The headmaster didn't tell you?"

Obviously not as the adults turned to Madam Bones for confirmation. "Mr Potter is correct, Sirius Black wasn't the Potters' Secret-Keeper at the time of the attack and he was framed by Peter Pettigrew."

"Oh? Is that why Sirius went after and killed Pettigrew?" Minerva responded.

Madam Bones shook her head. "Yes, but I have very good intelligence that confirms that Pettigrew is very much alive and the headmaster knew all this and still sent Sirius Black to Azkaban."

"Oh?"

Madam Bones winked at Harry. "Don't worry; I am sure Pettigrew will be found soon."

"Oh?" Harry said hopefully as Neville turned the page of the book.

Hermione took a deep breath when she heard the voice for Christopher Robin that sounded like what she would have imagine a young Harry would sound like.

As Lily finished the final song, Madam Bones turned to Harry. "Mr Potter, could I have your permission to copy your book?"

Harry was hugged by both Hermione and Luna, and just nodded an okay to Madam Bones. She waved her wand and a copy of the book appeared and she placed it in her handbag.

"Thank you, Mr Potter." Madam Bones said.

"You're welcome." Harry said as he took an old damaged diary out of his pocket and handed it to Madam Bones. "You might like to have a look at this diary too."

"Oh, thank you." Madam Bones said as she carefully placed it in her bag and then turned to Filius. "What happened to the enchanted books from the Muggle-born students and Lily's friends that the headmaster had you confiscate?"

Filius thought for a moment. "Well, actually I had forgotten about them. The headmaster never did ask for them after they couldn't find Lily's book. They are still in my office."

"Well, don't you think it is about time for them to be returned?"

"But the headmaster..."

"Is no longer the headmaster and I seriously doubt he will be returning."

"Oh, well of course Madam Bones." Filius said as he stood up and pointed his wand towards his office. "Accio enchanted story books!"

A moment later a large cardboard box flew into the Great Hall and landed next to the professor. He opened the box and smiled as he took out the first book and looked at Neville. "Your mother, Alice, enchanted this book. She got it from Lily's sister Petunia."

A shocked Neville carefully place the book on the table. The title read.

Walt Disney's story of

Mary Poppins

With songs from the film.

Neville opened to book to hear his mother's voice read the introduction. He quickly closed the book and hugged it like Harry had hugged his.

Professor Flitwick continued as he looked at Luna. "Your mother, Celeste, enchanted this book. It was your father's favourite childhood story book. Those two were inseparable from first year."

A surprised Luna carefully place the green covered book on the table. The title read.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Professor Flitwick continued. "Oh?" He said sadly as he took the next book out as he remembered that the witch hadn't survived the war. He carefully place the book next to the box and started to reach for another book.

Hermione read the title; Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien, and the name Juliet Dagworth-Granger. "Oh?" She said as she started to reach for the book.

Professor Flitwick saw Hermione's movement. "Juliet Dagworth-Granger died in..."

"A car crash with her family." Hermione sadly said. "She was my father's third cousin. I found her picture in a photo album and he always said I inherited her wild untameable hair." She noticed the sad expression of the faces of the professors and realised. "Oh? She didn't really perish in a car accident did she?"

"I am so sorry my dear." Professor McGonagall sadly said.

Professor Flitwick smiled as he pushed the book towards Hermione with a flick of his wand. "I would say that you have inherited more than her wild untameable hair, my dear. She was a brilliant student."

Hermione hugged the book and smiled to Harry as their eyes communicated that they will read the books later.

Professor Flitwick took out the next two books and placed them beside the box as those witches didn't survive. He smiled as he took out the next book and floated it across to Susan Bones who snatched it out of the air and hugged it as did Hannah to the next book.

Madam Bones smile as she saw the joy in her Susan's eyes. She was sure Susan would let her read the book after she had read it ten times.

Professor Flitwick stopped going through the box as too many had not survived the war and they remembered the many they had lost and that brought tears to their eyes. All those who had put their trust in the manipulative headmaster only for them to die terrible painful deaths. It was not Dumbledore, but Lily who had saved them and given them the victory they received through the love of a young mother for her son.

Professor Flitwick turned to Hermione who was still hugging her book. "Well Miss Granger, maybe you might let us hear your book. It is an epic tale and Miss Juliet Dagworth-Granger had got everyone involved in reading that story.

Hermione looked at Harry who nodded encouragement so she placed the book on the table and opened it. A voice that sounded just like her started to read the tale of the rings and the one ring to rule them all. Everyone listen intently and it was a bitter sweet moment for the professors as they identified each voice of the young readers. Can you guest who voiced the hobbits; Frodo Baggins, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took.

As they had finished their breakfast they decided to continue the reading in the library and left to go there as more students came into the Great Hall for their breakfast. Madam Bones watch them leave as she was sure that Harry would be overjoyed to hear his beautiful mother's voice reading him a story instead of her screaming for his life, and she was right.

Harry loved to read the book with Hermione snuggled up with him as she turned the pages so Harry's mother could sing and read them to sleep each night and keep away the nightmares.

Harry was so happy to find Hermione still snuggled up with him in the morning and they weren't the only couple.

Professor Flitwick offered to show Hermione an automatic page turning charm but she thanked him and said that somethings can be more magical using love rather than actually using magic.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Madam Bones returned to the Ministry for the emergency meeting of the Wizengamot and as expected it was in chaos with the Chief Warlock injured and the Minister and his Undersecretary dead along with Malfoy who led the Pure-Blood Alliance who pushed the Pure-Blood Agenda. Fortunately Madam Bones had enough support to get the Wizengamot to approve her as the interim Minister of Magic which gave her six weeks to save the magical world. Child's play for a Hufflepuff.

Without Malfoy and his dead Death Eater cronies, the Pure-Blood Alliance was too weakened and divided to be able to block Madam Longbottom from becoming the acting Chief Witch to replaced Dumbledore.

Madam Bones as the new Minister, used the attack on Azkaban to put the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic on a war footing, and had all Ministry personnel swear an oath of Loyalty to the Queen and her Minister. She had purposely used the Queen as the bigots disrespected her as a squib. The weaken Pure-Blood Alliance tried to block it but Minister Bones held up the damaged diary that Harry had given her that morning.

"The dark wizard Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Voldemort, used this diary to possess a young Hogwarts' student to open the Chamber of Secrets and release Slytherin's beast." Minister Bones said forcefully as she eyed the older members of the Pure-Blood Alliance who had been involved with Malfoy's attempt to remove Dumbledore from the school with the assistance of Minister Fudge. To her surprise she saw the fear in their eyes as they recognised the damaged little black book. She smirked as she realised that, of course, that pompous evil fool had shown them the diary and they knew who it belonged to. She upped the stakes and threw the diary at the remaining cowering members of the Pure-Blood Alliance and watched them scatter like cockroaches to avoid the diary touching them.

With a slow and determined voice she said. "That monster had given the diary to Lucius Malfoy, who gave it to a first year Hogwarts student and it possessed her!" She paused to let that sink into their fears. "All of your children and grandchildren could have died. This year there was a plot to force Mr Potter into the Triwizard Tournament!"

"Then there was the attack on Azkaban by his freed Death Eaters!"

"We can not allow that monster to destroy our world!"

Minister Bones let her words echo through the Wizengamot chamber and silenced any more protest as she gave the first oath of Loyalty to the Queen. Chief Witch Longbottom was next. Those who couldn't give the Oath out of fear of the unbreakable oaths that they had given Voldemort left the Wizengamot and they would be arrested later and questioned with Veritaserum.

The use of the Oath of Loyalty to the Queen and Her Ministry ensured any unknown Death Eaters (except Professor Snape) and unknown supporters were removed from the Ministry, along with the leaders and supporters of the Pure-Blood Alliance. The purge turned up some hidden surprises as it was discovered that Madam Edgecombe who worked in the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office, had been shutting down certain Floo connections for maintenance as directed by the late Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge which coincided with Death Eater raids, and Madam Mafalda Hopkirk who worked in the Improper Use of Magic Office, and is responsible for sending out warnings when magic by the underaged wizards and witches was detected. Madam Hopkirk also supplied the names and addresses of detected new Muggle-born witches and wizards to Pius Thicknesse who passed the information onto the then Auror Yaxley for elimination. Madam Bones had the four of them convicted, kissed and sent through the Veil along with Umbridge's soulless husk.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Minister Bones returned to Hogwarts as Professor McGonagall was having problems accessing the Headmistress Office. The professor led the procession to the old headmaster's office and Madam Bones made sure that Mr Potter was walking right behind the professor as they approached the gargoyle who guarded the staircase. She smirked that the gargoyle automatically stood aside which surprised everyone, and allowed the group to ascend the staircase and enter the office.

Professor McGonagall sat behind the desk as the others conjured chairs and she spoke of something that was troubling her. "You know, before that revision to the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, Muggle-borns made up more than half of the student numbers and half-bloods a third while the Pure-Bloods only made up a sixth. After those amendments the number of Muggle-borns nosedived. We lost half of the Muggle-born students currently at the school and the following Muggle-born enrolments dropped to less than a quarter."

"Sadly the school is only a third of its size that it was at the end of the war with Grindelwald." Filius said. "That is why there are so many abandoned classrooms and now the half-bloods make up half the school and Pure-Bloods a third with Muggle-borns a sixth."

Madam Bones considered the numbers of defeat and wondered if that was what the headmaster had intended when he raised those amendments as she knew he was not a fool. But she was here for another matter. "Can I see what files Dumbledore had on Mr Potter?"

Minerva waved her wand. "Accio all files and property of the Potters!"

The office started to shake but stopped as something was blocking the charm.

Minister Bones smiled. "Maybe if Mr Potter tries and uses the headmaster's old wand?"

Harry took out the elder wand and waved it around to follow professor McGonagall example. "Accio all files and property of the Potters!"

The office started to shake as drawers and doors banged to open as the objects inside made good their escape, while all the silver doodads on the shelf floated over to the desk, to form a growing pile of files, books, paintings, enchanted artefacts, and silver doodads.

"Bloody hell." Professor McGonagall said. "This will be a long night. Why on earth would Dumbledore have so much of the Potters' property."

"I don't know why but shall we start with this will?" Madam Bones asked as she took the parchment from the top of the pile.

"My parents had a will?" Harry asked surprised.

"I am sure that they did but this is the last will and testament of Harry James Potter." Madam Bones replied.

"Mine?" Harry replied. "I have never seen a will."

"Are you sure?" Madam Bones asked as Harry nodded to confirm. She looked at the details, who signed it and when. "Well you were very generous, you left the school one million Galleons, and the same for the Weasleys plus they got Potter Manor."

"What? I have a home?"

"You have a number of properties, Mr Potter. Which you very generously leave to Mr Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore along with all your family heirlooms."

"What? How could Albus do that?" Professor McGonagall demanded.

Minister Bones looked at the bottom of the document. "Well it was signed by Mr Potter on the first of September, 1991, and it was witnessed by Dumbledore and a Minerva McGonagall head of Gryffindor House."

"What? I certainly don't remember any such thing." A very angry McGonagall ground out.

"Well I think we may need to have everyone checked for charms and compulsions. But first we need Mr Potter to write a new will."

Harry looked at Hermione and had a quick silent communication of what Harry wanted to do while Hermione shook her head no.

"I want to leave everything to Hermione."

"No Harry!"

"I don't have anyone else, Hermione, and I won't die with you by my side. Together the Potter fortune will give you the ability to bring all your hopes, dreams and vision for the Magical world to life."

"That would be a good idea, Mr Potter, it's what couples do and a will only comes into play if the worst happens plus Mr Potter has proved to be remarkably resilient with your help."

Hermione surrendered as Madam Bones quickly wrote out a new will which Harry signed with herself, professor McGonagall and Hermione as witnesses.

Minister Bones picked up the next parchment. "I suppose you would want to cancel this betrothal to Ginevra Molly Weasley?"

"What?"

"Oh? There is also a betrothal for you, Miss Granger, and a Ronald Bilius Weasley."

And Hermione swore for the first time in her life and a certain redhead was going to die a particularly painful death.

It was a very long night but a very happy and Dumbledore, Voldemort and Weasley free Harry and Hermione left the Headmistress's office with a magical portrait of his parents.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

After the Goblet of Fire had stripped Barty junior of his magic, Harry was excused of any further involvement in the Triwizard Tournament. But this caused another blow-up with a certain redhead who loudly accused Harry of being a coward and unworthy to be a Gryffindor until Hermione stepped forward and after a few choice words, socked the foul loathsome evil cockroach, crushing his nose and sent him flying into the soft stone wall as the rest of Gryffindor cheered. The redhead slow slid down the wall and onto the lap of Lavender Brown who nodded a thank you to Hermione for knocking some sense into the idiot and pointing him her way. She had big plans to do a makeover for her Ron Ron.

Hagrid was overjoyed to keep the spare dragon as a pet as Lucius Malfoy was unavailable to return it and the people who supplied it could not be found. He was particularly pleased as this dragon was big enough for him to ride to France to meet his new girlfriend. He was careful and only flew at night so the muggles wouldn't see his beautiful black dragon called; Big Bertha. And Bertha could out fly any Jaguar or a Tomcat, and her afterburner was explosive and gave her unbelievably good lift as she could fire front and back. And if anyone still came too close the last line of defence was Hagrid's Fighting Rock Cakes. These were slightly larger than his usual rock cakes but as effective as a 20kg block of concrete at destroying a jet engine.

Harry did ask Hermione to the Yule Ball this time and Lavender made sure Ronald didn't spoil it.

The Triwizard Tournament ended in a draw with each champion winning one task. So they opted for a Tri-Quidditch International Inter-school Tournament with a team made up of the best players from each school. This further broke down the inter-house rivalry and promoted the Hufflepuff ideal of excellence, fair play and sportsmanship, while it also promoted friendship and cooperation with the other schools as well as provided an opportunity for the talent scouts from the professional Quidditch league to see new talent. Guest who caught the snitch to win the First Annual Tri-Quidditch International Inter-school Tournament for Hogwarts.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Professor McGonagall officially became the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and made sweeping changes to the curriculum and attitude of the school with new classes and replacing certain staff. But she discovered that she didn't control the powerful ancient wards that protected the castle. In researching the Hogwarts charter they discovered that if the head of the school is suddenly incapacitated without assigning the control of the wards, the castle will go into automatic lockdown until the castle can reassign the control of the wards to the most powerful witch or wizard. As the lockdown had obviously been lifted, they were sure someone had been chosen, but Professor McGonagall wasn't able to find anyone on the staff who had control, while Madam Bones thought she was looking in the wrong direction and had a very good idea who now controlled the wards and would be the next Headmaster of Hogwarts if he wanted the job.

Harry slowly became aware of his control of the Wards of Hogwarts and changed them to promote a happier educational environment, until Rita Skeeter tried to enter and he had her trapped and stuffed into a shrunken specimen jar until he and Hermione could work out what to do with her.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Madam Bones had Severus's dark mark checked out by Croaker and he was able to remove it and used it to track that monster's Horcruxes. They were able to find Marvolo Gaunt's Ring at Little Hangleton, Hufflepuff's cup in Gringotts, Ravenclaw's diadem at Hogwarts, Slytherin's Locket at Sirius old home. The dark mark tracker also led them to Harry and his scar was finally examined. Everyone was disgusted that the dark wizard Dumbledore had left a Horcrux behind the cursed scar, but when it was examined only a faint residue remained. Harry explained what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets and Croaker agreed that the Basilisk venom had destroyed the Horcrux but Fawkes' Phoenix tears were unable to heal the scar due to the blood ward the old fool had placed into the scar to contain the Horcrux and protect it from Lily's Love, leaving only a dark trace. Croaker was able to remove the blood ward and Fawkes flamed in to finally heal that evil scar and bonded with Harry.

But there was a problem for the Unspeakables as their dark lord Horcrux tracker was indicating that there was one last piece of the dark lord to be found. The problem was that the Horcrux tracker was pointing to Madam Bones' handbag and none of the Unspeakables were foolish enough to ask her. The problem was sort of resolved when Croaker asked his friend Robards who told him. "If Madam Bones had the dark lord trapped in her handbag, he would feel sorry for the dark lord and the fool who asked."

Croaker asked. "You didn't help her?"

"What? Help her capture the most feared dark lord?" Robards asked in return. "No, why would I need to? And I have no idea how she did, nor am I foolish enough to ask."

Sirius Black won his freedom when Peter Pettigrew was captured by Gawain Robards after a tip-off. He was found with all the bones in his arms and legs missing so he couldn't change or run away again. He was sent to Azkaban for life but didn't stay there for long as his sudden reappearance raised the question of the remaining Death Eaters in Azkaban. With the loss of his freed Death Eaters and his support network, Azkaban would be a prime target for the dark lord.

It was Barty Crouch senior who pushed to have the remaining Death Eaters in Azkaban sent through the Veil as a precaution and remove the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacking Azkaban again. Minister Bones was happy to let Barty take care of that and Dumbledore wasn't there to protest nor was Malfoy there to spread his gold around. It was quietly done with only a few of the survivors there to witness the last crazy words of Bellatrix as she was the last Death Eater to walk through the Veil.

Barty turned to Madam Bones. "That's the last of them, Amelia."

"Not quite, Barty." Madam Bones said as she thought no one was looking, she opened her handbag, took out the remaining shrunken specimen jar and handed it to Barty. "Be a dear and pass that to Mr Potter. He might like to throw it through the veil."

Barty took the specimen jar and gave it a quick glance. He almost dropped it when he recognised who was inside. "Bloody damn hell, Amelia!"

Barty passed the jar onto Croaker who had a similar reaction but more colourful expressions which we are unable to print here nor use in the presence of a Lady. Croaker sheepishly passed the jar onto Harry who examined it and was speechless as he nodded a thank you to Madam Bones and then threw the specimen jar through the Veil as hard as he could. The charms on the jar broke as the Veil absorbed the magic and the specimen jar expanded and shattered as the highly inflammable Draught of Living Death exploded into a bright emerald green ball of flames incinerating Babymort and giving Wraithmort a taste of his future.

All the Unspeakables and the Boss' Immortals were carefully and surreptitiously watching to find out what was in her handbag. They all gave a cheer as they fist pump when the dark lord Horcrux tracker indicated that the last piece of the dark lord had just disappeared through the Veil. Madam Bones smirked as she gave them her evil eye as she disapproved of their antics and they all tried to look innocent but the smirk on their face said it plain. Their Boss of Bosses was awesome and a legend in her own time.

Harry returned the favour as he took a shrunken specimen jar out of his pocket and gave it to Croaker to pass to Madam Bones. He rolled his eyes when he saw a beetle and recognised who was trapped inside by the dark marking around its antennae that are exactly like those foul glasses she wears. He passed the jar on to Barty who also recognised Rita and gave it to Madam Bones who gave a predatory smirk and nodded a thank you to Harry as the beetle saw the smirk and rolled over to play dead with her legs twitching up into the air. Madam Bones' smirk grew as she conjured a black cotton bag to place over the jar with a silenced ward before she placed the jar into her handbag. Or as her Immortals call it, her dark lord container.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Finally and posthumously for Lily and James, along with Harry and Hermione, were awarded the Order of Merlin First Class and a monument of Lily and James with baby Harry in her arms as a memorial for all who perished in the Blood War, was erected at the entrance to Hogwarts to serve as a reminder to future generations. On the back was the names of all who perished and on the front citation was a quote from Lily;

' _B_ _efore you_ _can_ _hate_ _someone_ _, You have to hate yourself first!'_

At the dedication, the students of Hogwarts took turns to read out the name of everyone who perished and Madam Bones gave the Remembrance which she based on Lily's quote and the cost everyone has paid for that hatred, and ended with the words, _thank you, Lily_. And so it became a tradition to say _'Thank you, Lily'_ as you passed by the memorial.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Later, Severus was concerned that his brilliant plan to blame Potter for the demise of the dark lord would backfire on him when the new Minister awarded the Know-It-All and the boy the Order of Merlin, first class, as he was sure the boy would lap up all of the attention. But he was wrong. He saw how Harry and Hermione avoided the media circus and it was actually the idiot red dunderhead who tried to be the center of attention claiming to be the brains behind the Boy-Who-Lived and that he deserved an Order of Merlin. Severus smirked to watch Skeeter and the other media dogs rip the dunderhead to shreds. Then he stepped in to give him detention with Filch until he graduated. As if the dunderhead ever would.

Seeing how Harry was so much more like his mother Lily, had opened Severus' eyes and he realized how easily the headmaster had been able to control him by manipulating his anger and hatred of James Potter and Sirius Black. No wonder the headmaster had full confidence and complete trust in Professor Severus Snape, the former Death Eater and spy for the light, because he completely controlled him and knew every button to press.

Severus grew sadder as he inspected every part of his life without the headmaster's constant distracting interference, and saw clearly how much the hidden dark lord had manipulated him and everyone else from the moment they stepped inside the gates of Hogwarts. The head monster had played them all for fools as he taught the Gryffindors and Slytherins to hate each other while he guided the Slytherins to become murderers and rapists, and encouraged the Gryffindors to be sacrificial cannon fodder for his Greater Good. He could see how the headmaster had manipulated his parents' generation and even as far back as his grandparents' generation. Severus knew a lot of the background surrounding the dark lord and that it was Dumbledore who had introduced the orphan Tom Marvolo Riddle to the Magical World and it was the headmaster's manipulations that turned him into the most feared dark lord.

"But the dark lord didn't fear Dumbledore. He just hated the Machiavellian Manipulative sociopath with every fibre of his being and he used that to get the dark lord to do his dirty work." Severus said to himself. "And it is only the love of Hermione Granger that stopped the headmaster's manipulations from creating a second dark lord in the son of Lily Potter."

The realisation of the headmaster's betrayal grieved him down to the depths of his soul, and Severus went deep into the Forbidden Forest to weep bitterly.

Alone.

All his friends were dead. Except for one.

Ashamed of his foolishness, Severus tried to stamp out the bigotry and hatred between Slytherin and Gryffindor that had cost him his best friend.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Severus had a nagging thought that wouldn't go away. The headmaster's manipulations were masterful and didn't leave anything to chance. The headmaster had created the dark lord and he wouldn't have let him gain so much power without some means of protection.

Severus took out the dark lord's wand and examined it very minutely. It took a while but he found the tiny runes caved into the handle of the 13 ½" long wand of Yew wood and a core of one of Fawkes' phoenix feathers. Ancient runes that would limit the wand's ability fire Unforgivable and offensive curses at the wizard whose blood was in those ancient runes. No wonder Dumbledore could face the dark lord without fear. These ancient runes would restrict the wand to ten percent of the power to cast the Unforgivable and offensive curses at Dumbledore while transferring the excess magic cast into heat. In his anger and hatred, no wonder the dark lord didn't notice how weak he was against the headmaster. Even then the headmaster had avoided any direct confrontation with the dark lord and had set up his minions to fight and die in his place. If the dark lord had discovered the rune he would have certainly changed wands.

Severus gave Mr Potter a detention as a cover so he could examine his wand. He quickly found the same blood soaked ancient runes hidden in the handle of the eleven inches long, Holly and phoenix feather, nice and supple wand. He excused Mr Potter from the detention and was left pondering his thoughts how the boy had circumvented the ancient runes to blast the headmaster. He laughed when he realized the miscalculation. A true Gryffindor would never use an Unforgivable curse and the Disarming Hex is not considered an offensive curse. The manipulative old fool had outwitted himself and suffered the full power of the son of Lily Potter.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

One Sunday lunch with the Boss' Immortals, Madam Bones let them, read along with Susan's copy of the old story book, as she wouldn't tell them what T.T.F.N. meant and they were dying to know. Their reaction was the same and they laughed themselves silly to hear Lily mimic the voice of Sirius Black say T.T.F.N., but there was not a dry eye amongst all the biggest, ugliest and toughest Aurors when they heard Lily mimic the voice of a young Harry for Christopher Robin as they could feel the love of a mother for her son.

Fawkes refused to heal his former master, and instead stayed with Harry. So Dumbledore never completely recovered from the backfire of the memory curse, losing the Elder Wand and hitting the stone wall of the Great Hall so hard. He was moved to live out his last days in St Mungo's with his only friend in the world, Gilderoy Lockhart, as they made their plans for world domination together. They thought that the insane snivelling of the grinning Lockhart would be worse than the Dementors of Azkaban.

The next challenge for Barty Crouch senior was the seizure and confiscation of the ill-gotten gains of the Death Eaters. He particularly enjoyed discovering all the hidden gold stashes of Lucius Malfoy and recovering all the bribes he had paid.

Afterwards Barty retired and alone without his beloved wife and with the loss of his only son, he slowly lost the will to live. When they went to bury him with his late wife and next to his son, they discovered her grave was empty. Rita Skeeter asked for permission before she wrote a book on the Crouches and speculated on how Barty junior had escaped from Azkaban all those years ago. She called the book; The Strange case of the Empty Grave. Rita caused a sensation after pushing to have Barty junior's grave at Azkaban exhumed claiming that it would contain the missing wife and mother. Only for that grave to be found empty too, after all Barty junior was not dead then. Rita's speculation kept the sheeple distracted and gave them something to argue about. But it was Minister Bones who had the last laugh as she had worked it out when junior was discovered alive, and as Madam Crouch had been a friend of hers so she had some close trusted associates secretly move her to be buried with her son as a thank you to Barty senior. Minister Bones' smiled, that was why she was Minister of Magic while Rita was just a hack writer.

With the demise of the Death Eaters, Fenrir Greyback discovered that no one wanted to hire his crew so he tried his luck in the muggle world only to find that it never sleeps and those big noisy moving things with the so gleaming mesmerising bright lights don't stop. It only took one full moon and him and his crew were road kill and potion ingredients.

With no further sighting of the dark lord and Dumbledore no longer manipulating everyone for his greater good, the Magical World started to relax and grow to a better future. Even Harry's famous now healed scar had stopped phantom itching. Things were starting to look bright for Harry and Hermione. Even Sirius Black found some puppy love, and Neville Longbottom had fallen for the irrepressible charms of Luna Lovegood, while Ronald Weasley went gaga over Big Boobs Brown and all was forgiven. Hermione even showed Lavender her right hook for when Ron Ron got distracted or forgot to use a knife and fork, and it was far better than a rolled up newspaper for puppy training. Without Dumbledore in the castle, the bitter Gryffindor / Slytherin rivalry faded away and the Hufflepuff spirit of cooperation and friendship ruled the school with the Ravenclaws' need to excel, giving the school a happy positive vibe. Sadly, Ginny's obsession with the Boy-Who-Lived had her sent for mind healing at St. Mungo's. Much to Molly's shame, but without the headmaster's interference, Arthur finally had Molly's permission to put his foot down.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._

 _Only the epilogue to go._


	12. Epilogue

Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion.

Chapter 12. Epilogue.

I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.

Thank you for all your kind reviews.

05/03/18 A big thank you to Alix33 for her corrections and delightful comments. Jack is still waiting for little Miss Doc Martens to visit Dumbledore.

Epilogue and things that go bang in the night.

Even with Dumbledore gone, Severus Snape couldn't change his bullying past no matter how hard he tried. He had just been too good at being bad and had done too much damage. So he escaped from Hogwarts and started his own Potion Brewing Company. In his spare time he went to comfort his only old friend, Narcissa, over the loss of her husband as the captured Death Eater told her of his terrible death inflicted by the dark lord. In public, Narcissa played the grieving widow, but in private she was celebrating the monster's painful death.

Sharing their loneliness, Severus and Narcissa got closer and one day Narcissa happened to discover a certain dead dark lord's wand in the pocket of Severus' robes. She forced the truth out of the only surviving freed ex-Death Eater and laughed herself silly after she found out what the secret dark lord Severus had done to those stupid evil scumbags who masqueraded as Death Eaters, and particularly her nasty evil bigoted husband.

Narcissa had playfully called her secret dark lord Severus, the Big Bad Bat. He even showed her his two Order of Merlin medals and she loved it that he got them for Skullduggery and forgiveness.

Then the BBB Severus discovered that Narcissa had a dark secret. A secret she would never share with her former bigoted husband. But it was something she had passed onto her son. Nymphadora Tonks was not the only Metamorphmagus in the Black family. Narcissa was a natural brunette twin of her older sister Bellatrix but after hearing all the tales of how Bella had been so very wicked, Narcissa transformer her hair to platinum blonde so she wouldn't be mistaken for Bella. Unfortunately that brought her to the attention of another certain platinum blonde bigot. Now free of that bigot, Narcissa could express herself but unfortunately she couldn't return to her natural brunette as would freak everyone out as she still was Bellatrix's twin. So she decided to explore being a redhead, and transformed herself into her version of the dark lord, a very attractive dark lady in tight black leather, bright emerald green eyes, rich deep fiery red hair, and a fiery wicked attitude to match.

She didn't need any chains or whips as she could use the dark lord's wand and do the dark lord's voice too!

"Crucio!"

That certainly spiced up their love life, and who would have imaged that Severus was such a screamer.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

With permission from the Minister, Rita Skeeter's tell-all book; _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore,_ was published and made for some very interesting reading. Narcissa was shocked to read about Dumbledore's former lover but it gave her a wicked idea.

A very wicked idea indeed.

The next Halloween, the secret dark lord and his dark lady paid a visit at midnight to the former illustrious Leader of the Light in his private suite in the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Severus dressed up as the Big Bad Bat with his black hood, red eyes and Voldemort's wand, while Narcissa transformed herself into a young youthful handsome blond Gellert Grindelwald.

It was Narcissa who insisted to have the old goat chained spread-eagle to his four poster bed and checked for any hidden wands and Portkeys, and put up silencing wards to make sure they weren't disturbed. They didn't want any little surprises.

Narcissa slapped the old goat across the face to wake him. He shakes his head and tries to look around the room and sees a dark cloaked figure with glowing red eyes holding a familiar wand in his crossed arms.

"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom," said Dumbledore calmly. "The Aurors are on their way"

"No they're not, Alby. You're such a lying manipulator, still avoiding the truth."

Dumbledore turned his head to the direction the voice came from. "Gigi?"

"Alby!" Narcissa purred in her smooth Gellert voice. "Remember when you used to chain me up?"

"Not now, Gigi, not in front of strangers."

"Oh, Tom is not a stranger, Alby." Narcissa purred with a sad long face. "In fact he is my new very best friend. You left me all alone in that terrible cold dark place, but Tom came and rescued me."

"It was for the Greater Good, Gigi. Sacrifices had to be made." Dumbledore said as he started to struggle with his chains.

"Certainly not my Greater Good, and I noticed that you did sacrifice so many others, so many but not yourself, Alby."

"But Gigi, I had to live; only I could have guided the Greater Good. They didn't understand, they were not fit for my Greater Good, they had to go. That was why I raised up Tom to hate everyone and everything. He was very effective in clearing away the riffraff and scum." Dumbledore said without a hint of remorse of all the murders he had arranged.

"Bella was my lover, Dumbledore!" Severus spoke for the first time in his high dark lord voice with such disgust as he knew what Bella and the dark lord got up to. "And you made sure she rotted away in that terrible place."

"You could never understand love, Tom, and you didn't have friends, not real true friends. I made sure of that." Dumbledore replied and Severus realised that the headmaster's support for the bullying and bigotry in the castle had ensured that he too lost the only true friend he had.

"Sadly, yes, while I was at Hogwarts you taught me to hate for your Greater Good." Severus spat the words Greater Good as he played his part. "But after we left the castle and got away from you, a few became my friends and Bella..." Leaving the rest unsaid.

"Oh." Dumbledore stalled while he tried to plan and noticed how youthful Gellert looked. "Well you do look amazing, Gigi." Not missing a beat or a hint of remorse.

"Yes, yes I do." Narcissa purred as she preened her hair and clothes. While Severus walked over to stand next to her with his arm over her shoulders. "Tom knows a brilliant Potions Master who had access to this amazing stone. I feel like a new man."

"Severus finally got the Philosopher's Stone to work and brew the Elixir of Life?" Dumbledore asked desperately, he and Severus had spent years trying to perfect that potion as the notes Dumbledore had _borrowed_ from the Flamels were incomplete.

"Works like a charm, Alby." Narcissa purred as she knew that Severus had discovered that the stone was a fake. The Flamels had never trusted the old manipulator with their precious Philosopher's Stone.

"Quick, Gigi, you must give me some Elixir of Life, and then we can rule this world together for the Greater Good." Dumbledore demanded earnestly, his mind already planning their come back and the steps they needed to take for total world domination.

"We?" Narcissa purred. "There is no we or us, Alby. There is only Tom and me. He remembered me. He came to me. He saved me!"

"But. But!" Dumbledore started.

"But as soon as I had completed my plans, Gigi, I was coming for you. It was the boy! He wouldn't die! Fourteen years I have been trying to arrange an accident for him and end those idiot Potters and then the Cloak of Invisibility, the second Deathly Hallow, Gigi, would be finally mine." Dumbledore said triumphantly. "I tried everything! I left the boy on a doorstep that freezing night with a Notice-Me-Not charm and that oaf Dursley didn't kill him when he trod on him. That idiot Tom and his pansy Death Eaters failed so many times as did the Dursleys, Malfoys, that stupid moRon, the troll, the Basilisk, the pathetic werewolf, the idiot grim, the Ministry and all those damn Dementors. I even arranged for the biggest, nastiest dragon. I tried absolutely everything but nothing worked!"

"So the boy has proved to be far more than your equal?" Sneered Severus pleased that Lily's son was so resilient.

"What?" Dumbledore asked confused.

"It is too late, Alby. Tom is a far greater wizard than you could ever be, and together, we have seen the light!." Narcissa purred as she kissed Severus passionately.

"NOOOOOOO, NOT MY GIGI! _YOU HALF-BLOOD **BITCH!"**_ Dumbledore screamed and then looked on in shock as he tried to grab his chest and his eyes glazed over as he collapsed unresponsive.

"I think you just broke him."

"Pity, I had so much more material." Narcissa cursed and then patted the old fool's drooling face. "Oh well, see you next Halloween, Alby."

"Why wait until then?" Severus asked.

"Yeah, you are right. We will pay the old manipulative fool another visit as soon as he has recovered."

While the dark lord Crucioed the former headmaster for old times' sake and left arm in arm with a young Gellert Grindelwald, whistling 'We're Off to See The Wizard' and dancing a jolly little jig.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Jack McFartland, the St Mungo's squib orderly, arrived the next morning with Kildare, a doctor-medic-house-elf carrying the former headmaster's breakfast tray. Jack unlocked the reinforced security door to Dumbledore's room and minced through leaving Kildare to struggle with the heavy door and not spill the breakfast tray.

Jack found Dumbledore drooling and still chained to the bedposts.

"Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear, you have been a very naughty boy." Jack said in a high gay condescending disapproving voice shaking his head. "You know the rules, dearie, no visitors after curfew. So who was it this time? Lockhart or Molly?"

Jack snapped his fingers and pointed for Kildare to released the chains with a snap of her fingers as the former headmaster curled up into the foetal position.

Jack continued his inspection. "No, these chains are new. It wasn't Lord Black again? He was really upset when he worked out that it was you who sent him to Azkaban for thirteen years so you could have total control over his godson and forced him to suffer and be abused in a terrible loveless childhood."

Jack dropped the new chains on the floor and snapped his fingers at Kildare who snapped her fingers to hang the new chains in the wardrobe with all the other ones, while still holding the breakfast tray.

There was no response from the former headmaster as he started to shake while Jack looked closer at his face and neck. "Nope, He hasn't ripped out your throat and your nose is not broken so it wasn't Hermione."

Jack snapped his fingers and pointed, and Kildare cleaned up the drool on the former headmaster's beard with a snap of her fingers.

"It wasn't Madam Longbottom? Again?" Jack asked as the former headmaster started to shake violently. "Wow, I know she is one scary witch. She was absolutely furious when she discovered that it was your manipulations that had trapped her son and daughter-in-law in this very ward. Lucky for you Frank and Alice made a complete recovery or you would have been so dead."

Jack checked the former headmaster's hands. "Nope, she hasn't ripped out your fingernails. It must be someone new."

But the former headmaster continued to shake violently. "You are still shaking? That's a telltale sign of the Cruciatus Curse. Don't tell me the dark lord paid you a visit? Wow, just wait until I tell everyone."

Jack snapped his fingers and pointed impatiently, getting annoyed that he would have to do everything, and Kildare snapped her fingers to clean up the mess on the bed, changed the sheets and washed and bathed the former headmaster, burned his soiled clothes and dress him in clean clothes. Then placed the breakfast tray on the bedside table.

Jack continued. "You know, for a former leader of the light, you certainly have a lot of very scary associates. All of your great scheming and manipulations have done no one any good and everyone a lot of harm. I have wondered why my friend, Harry Potter, hasn't visited you but I heard tell that he said that you weren't worth it as he worked it out that you had set up his parents to be murdered."

"I am afraid that they were necessary sacrifices for the Greater Good." Dumbledore mumbled.

"You know they stripped that Order of Merlin from you." Jack stirred the pot as the old fool hated to be reminded of losing his famous Order of Merlin.

"Bah! Humbug!"

"And they gave The-Wizard-Who-Conquered, two Order of Merlin medals. One for terminating Voldemort and one for destroying the darkest dark lord Dumbledore." Jack cheerfully added as he watched the old fool flinched. "Even Hermione, James and Lily got one each."

Jack turned to go and leave Kildare to feed the old fool and said cheerfully. "Everyone is waiting for the witch with the Doc Marten ankle length shoes to pop in and pay you another visit."

"Nooooooo! Not her!" The former headmaster screamed and tried to move to protect his nether region upsetting the breakfast tray all over Kildare. She snapped her fingers to clean the food off her clothes and repeated the clearing of the bed and the headmaster, changed the clothes and sheets while she banished the spoilt food away.

Jack smiled. He saw his job was not so much as to take care of the manipulative old fool, but to ensure he lived long enough so all his many very scary associates could have an abundant opportunity to express their disappointment in him. Then he had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. He decided to get a visitors book, he had seen some nice black leather visitor books in a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London. He was sure the headmaster's nocturnal visitors would love to make a note of the purpose of their visit and what the manipulative old fool has done to them. While he would love to get some cool autographs of famous associates of the old fool. After all the headmaster knew everyone.

As Jack turned to leave, Dumbledore made a sudden move to grabbed his arm and held it tight with a strong grip that surprised Jack.

"Ouch! What have we said about touchies!"

"I must see, the boy!" Dumbledore spoke in a harsh desperate whisper with wild eyes.

"The boy?" Jack questioned.

"Yes, Potter!"

"Potter?" Jack questioned, wondering what Harry had done now.

"Yes, Harry Potter, you damn fool!"

"Now, now Mr Dumbledore, what have you been told about swearing? That's one Galleon for the Naughty Language jar."

"Damn you and your damn jar!"

"Now, now, Mr Dumbledore, the doctor ordered you to be calm." Jack said enjoying teasing the former headmaster who had refused to let him go to Hogwarts with his big brother. "If you don't calm yourself I shall have to get the heavy restraints again."

Jack snapped his fingers and Kildare went to open the wardrobe.

"No, no, I will be good."

"That's better."

The headmaster thought for a moment of who could bring the boy to him. "I need to see, Severus Snape!"

"Sorry, you know Mr Snape is on your naughty list."

"Alastor Moody?"

"Sorry, he put himself on your naughty list so you couldn't call him again."

"Amelia Bones?"

"Too busy."

"Augusta Longbottom?"

"Hates you! Don't even go there." Jack said in a gay high falsetto voice.

"Minerva McGonagall?"

"Put herself on the Naughty list as did the rest of the staff of Hogwarts."

"Even Hagrid?"

"Hagrid was the first to add his name to the naughty list. You broke his heart!" Jack said with a sad smiled. "The only ones who would want to talk to you, would also want to cause you pain."

"Oh? But I must see, Harry. I have vital information." Dumbledore spoke in a harsh desperate whisper with wild eyes. "Voldemort is back and he has seduced er, teamed up with Gellert Grindelwald!"

"O-Kay!" Jack said slowly as he tried to back away but the ancient headmaster's grip was too strong.

"They are going to take over the world without me. Without me! How could Gigi do that to me? I loved him! Its all that damn boy's fault. Er. Oh damn, you are still here. Obliviate!" The old fool screamed and pointed his finger at Jack who blinked in surprise. But without a wand and with his magic suppressant cuffs, the wandless magic fizzled to nothing.

Dumbledore pointed his finger again. "Imperio! Bring me Harry Potter! Only Harry can stop them! He needs to, er, sacrifice, to save me, er, everyone!"

"He already did!" Jack said shaking off the attempted Unforgivable curse. "And his girlfriend, Hermione, scares me more than you, the dark lord and Grindelwald combined."

"Nooooooo, the boy has gone dark without my guidance!" The master manipulator cried.

"No, compared to you, he is as light as a brand new day. No Harry Potter is brighter than the noonday sun." Jack said as he snapped his fingers and pointed.

Kildare smiled as she snapped her fingers and a used chamber pot flew up and whacked the manipulative old fool in the head leaving him stunned and he released Jack's arm. She snapped her fingers again and a phial the Draught of Living Death floated over and carefully tipped over to give the old fool three drops, and he stopped shaking while his body started to relax and heal.

Jack rubbed his bruised arm and said. "I hope your next visitors are the Ghosts of Xmas Past, Present, and as Yet to Come. Maybe then you might see the evil er, damage, no. Evil is the only word that can describe all the damage that you have done!"

Jack turned and left the manipulative old fool in a huff with his nose high as he minced away leaving the old fool in the gentle care of Kildare.

Unfortunately as Jack's nose was high in the air, he didn't notice the puddle on the floor in front of the security door. He slipped as he tried to open the heavy door and whacked his head, broke his nose and slipped unconscious to the floor.

Kildare smiled as she snapped her fingers and floated the unconscious orderly over to the bed and with a second snap, he was snuggled into the arms of the manipulative old fool. She smirked as she noticed how bent and crooked their noses were. She turned and danced a little soft shoe as she left, locked the soundproof door and threw away the key. She had a very good day.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

Madam Bones retired from the Ministry after a very long and successful career. She was the Minister of Magic for twenty years and led the Magical World into a bright future, free of dark lords and Dumbledore's manipulations and schemes. So much had changed that Hermione Potter was the next Minister of Magic while Harry Potter was the Chief Warlock and Headmaster of Hogwarts. Their long time best friend, Neville Longbottom was the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards while his wife, Luna, was head of the Department of Magical Relations, that replaced the former Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Unfortunately Ronald got himself killed in a car accident. He had a head on with a semi-trailer. Sadly he had always said that the road rules were for Muggles and he was only going one way. Fortunately Lavender had written a best-selling book based on her successful makeover of Ronald and had a second best-seller with her book on the makeover of her next target, Seamus Finnigan.

Madam Bones was happy to leave public life knowing the Magical World was in good caring hands, and to enjoy her many grandnieces and grandnephews. But she did take the memories that Harry Potter had given her on the Halloween night when the hidden dark wizard Albus Dumbledore was exposed and disposed of. She would gather her old friends together to join her and relive the moment that changed everything, to taste the drama, to re-watch the old fool go cartwheeling, to re-hear the thud as all of Dumbledore's bones were broken, and most of all, to re-feel the all powerful magic Harry had put into the hex that hissed and crackled, and saved them from a terrible Greater Good. It still made them go weak at the knees.

 _\- Harry Potter and Voldemort's Champion. -_

 _Thank you for reading._


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